UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


Mrs.  SARAH  P.  WALSWORTH. 

Received  October,  1894. 
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LIFE-SCENES 


FKOM   THE 


FOUR   GOSPELS 


THIKD  EDITION, 

WITH  MAPS  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


EY 

REV.   GEORGE  JONES,  M.  A., 

CHAPLAIN    UNITED    STATES    NAVY. 


UHITB1TSITT 


PHILADELPHIA  : 

J.    C.    GARRIGUES    &    CO., 

No.  148  SOUTH  FOURTH  STREET. 

J  868. 


' 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1865,  by 
EEV.  GEOEGE  JONES,  M.A., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  ths 
Southern  District  of  New  York. 


WESTCOTT  &  THOMSON, 
Stereotypers,  Philada. 


PREJE. 


THE  object  in  this  book  is  to  give  a  fulness  to  the  scenes 
in  the  Gospels  by  means  of  the  various  knowledge  which 
modern  research  has  placed  within  reach ;  and  also  to  add 
freshness  to  them  in  our  minds  so  much .  accustomed  to  see 
them  in  one  point  of  view.  How  far  this  is  regarded  as 
having  been  accomplished  will  appear  in  the  following 
notice  which  the  first  edition  has  elicited  in  the  "  Sunday 
School  Times/7  Philadelphia,  from  one  of  its  correspondents. 

"This  volume,  by  the  Kev.  George  Jones,  of  the  United  States 
Navy,  is  replete  with  information  and  truly  dramatic  interest.  Every 
statement  in  it  has  been  subjected  to  severest  tests,  and  been  found  to 
consist  with  the  simple  truth. 

"  It  is  a  graceful  and  captivating  harmony  of  the  gospels,  in  which 
the  reader  is  carried  along  from  one  scene  to  another  with  true  his- 
toric accuracy,  and  yet  with  an  interest  rivalling  that  excited  by  fable 
or  romance ;  while  the  careful  sketches  of  the  country  and  the 
customs  of  those  days,  introduce  the  sacred  narrative  to  the  mind  as 
a  new  history,  full  of  a  reality  never  before  so  vividly  seen  and  felt. 
•*•#  *  •*  *  *  *  * 

"  The  exciting  narrative  of  the  whole  life  of  our  Lord  is  never  in- 
terrupted, excepting  where  it  is  important  to  give  descriptions  of  the 
country  or  its  customs,  and  the  reader  moves  along  with  the  story, 
with  a  perception  of  its  reality,  as  if  he  were  himself  an  observer  or 
an  actor  in  its  scenes. 

"  The  author  has  personally  visited  the  land  'he  describes,  and  with 
profound  reverence  for  his  subject,  apparent  on  every  page,  writes 
with  such  singleness  of  purpose,  simplicity  and  vividness,  as  to  make 
the  work  truly  '  life  scenes  from  the  four  gospels. ' 

"  Pastors,  Sabbath-school  teachers  and  Christians  generally  will  find 
the  book  very  valuable.  It  has  in  it  a  great  deal  of  information 
sought  out  and  selected  with  indefatigable  labor,  judgment  and  integ- 

3 


4  PREFACE. 

rity,  and  of  undisputed  authority.  It  is  peculiarly  calculated  to 
impart  a  realizing  and  unwonted  perception  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ." 

The  author  must  be  allowed  to  acknowledge  the  great 
satisfaction  afforded  him  by  such  testimonials  received  from 
all  parts  of  the  country  and  from  persons  of  all  conditions 
of  life ;  for  never  before  did  he  put  such  severe  and  earnest 
labor,  or  so  much  heart  into  any  undertaking  as  in  this. 

While  preparing  the  work  he  felt  greatly  encouraged  by 
meeting  with  the  following  in  the  writings  of  others,  calling 
it  is  true,  for  much  more  than  he  could  hope  to  effect ;  yet 
showing  how  much  a  work  in  this  line  of  effort  was  needed. 

From,  Canon  Stanley's  book  on  Sinai  and  Palestine. 

"  So  to  delineate  the  outward  events  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ment, as  that  they  should  come  home  with  a  new  power  to  those  who, 
by  long  familiarity,  have  almost  ceased  to  regard  them  as  historical 
truth  at  all — so  to  bring  out  their  inward  spirit  that  a  more  com- 
plete realization  of  their  outward  form  should  not  degrade  but  exalt 
the  faith  of  which  they  are  the  vehicle — this  would  indeed  be  an 
object  worthy  of  all  labor  which  travellers  and  theologians  have  ever 
bestowed  on  the  East." 

From  tJie  N.  T.  "  Christian  Advocate  and  Journal"  (Methodist)  of 
June  1st,  1865. 

"  We  have  never  met  with  a  book  in  which  the  life  of  Christ  has 

been  adequately  delineated  from  the  modern  point  of  view 

The  materials  for  illustration  are  abundantly  at  hand,  and  we  trust 
one  day  to  see  them  graphically  and  vividly  employed  for  that  pur- 
pose. The  book,  if  properly  executed,  would  vie  in  interest  with 
any  romance;  for  the  tragedy  culminating  at  Calvary  is  without  a 
parallel  in  all  the  elements  of  pathos  and  sublime  incident." 

From  a  Critique  on  Kenan's  "TAfe  of  Jesus }"  by  a  Professor  in  Theology. 

"  This  life  of  Jesus,  so  fascinating  to  the  lovers  of  romance,  may 
also  lead  Christian  thinkers  to  depict  the  living  Christ  more  vividly 
in  all  his  human  endowments,  relations,  and  sympathies.  We  are, 
perhaps,  too  apt  to  dwell  upon  him  as  the  centre  of  doctrines ;  to 
substitute  the  abstract  dogma  for  the  living  person.  The  success  of 
Kenan's  book  is,  doubtless,  in  part,  to  be  attributed  to  the  graphic 
beauty  with  which  he  depicts  the  scenes  in  the  midst  of  which  the 


PREFACE.  5 

youth  of  our  Lord  was  spent ;  to  the  air  of  living  interest  he  throws 
around  the  personal  narratives  and  the  records  of  events ;  to  his  use 
of  a  prolific  and  cultivated  imagination  in  making  resurrection  of  the 
past,  so  that  it  often  seems  like  a  present  reality.  How  much  more 
perfectly,  without  inconsistencies  and  contradictions,  might  this  be 
done  by  the  reverent  Christian  scholar,  imbibing  the  full  spirit  of  the 
evangelists,  and  using  all  the  resources  of  thought  and  scholarship  to 
illustrate  the  wondrous  story  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth !  Let  this  but 
be  written  in  a  book,  as  it  is  inscribed  on  every  loving  and  believing 
heart;  let  the  radiant  person  of  our  Lord  appear  in  visible  majesty 
and  grace,  and  such  poor  fictions  as  that  of  Renan  will  quickly 
vanish,  as  do  the  phantoms  of  a  rayless  night  before  the  brightness 
of  a  rising  sun." 

Any  one  attempting  what  is  required  in  the  above,  will 
probably  find  the  result  to  be  far  short  of  his  wishes ;  but 
if  only  a  small  portion  is  accomplished,  still  the  importance 
of  the  subjects  can  make  that  small  part  worth  the  attempt. 

In  a  work  like  this,  it  is  of  the  highest  consequence  to 
guard  against  a  too  free  use  of  the  imagination.  When  a 
certain  amount  of  sure  data  are  allowed  in  any  circum- 
stances of  human  action  or  feeling,  we  may  know  that 
certain  other  things  will  be  the  accompaniments  :  and  so  far 
the  author  has  gone  in  filling  up  these  life  pictures ;  taking, 
in  connection  with  this,  all  that  can  be  gained  from 
history,  topography,  and  criticism  respecting  that  country 
and  the  usages  of  those  times.  There  is  always  in  such  ef- 
forts, a  temptation  to  let  the  fancy  have  too  much  liberty ; 
but  the  sacredness  of  the  subjects  here  was  too  great  to  allow 
of  such  indulgence ;  and  the  author  has  endeavored  to  be 
constantly  on  his  guard  so  as  to  keep  to  the  truth  in  every 
case.  Though  wishing  to  place  full  and  vivid  life-scenes 
before  the  reader,  he  has  felt  it  to  be  more  important  to  be 
truthful  than  to  be  graphic. 

A  scene  which  he  once  witnessed  himself,  has  helped  in 
the  attempt  to  represent  the  listening  multitudes  in  those  an- 
cient days  in  Palestine.  It  is  not  often  that  any  one  has  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  a  person  of  mature  intellect  and 
i  * 


6  PREFACE. 

candid  mind  listening  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  to  the 
Gospel  of  Christ ;  but  the  author  saw  this  once  in  the  mis- 
sionary church  in  the  centre  of  Shanghae,  in  China ;  and 
the  scene  was  a  singularly  interesting  one.  The  missionary 
was  preaching  in  the  native  language;  very  soon,  a  man 
apparently  about  forty-five  years  of  age  and  with  an  open 
and  intelligent  countenance,  rose  in  the  congregation,  as  if 
unable  longer  to  keep  his  seat.  He  stood  during  the  rest  of  the 
discourse  seemingly  unconscious  of  everything  but  what  he 
was  listening  to,  his  hands  grasping  the  back  of  the  seat  be- 
fore him,  his  features  lighted  ,up  and  showing  deep  atten- 
tion, and  his  eyes  never  once  removed  from  the  speaker's 
face,  a  slight  nod  of  the  head  frequently  giving  assent  to 
what  was  said.  After  the  services  were  over,  he  followed 
the  missionary  to  his  room ;  mentioned  that  he  came  to  the 
city  on  business  from  a  distant  town  in  the  interior ;  that  a 
friend  belonging  to  the  same  place  had  once  heard  the  mis- 
sionaries, and  had  told  him  of  them ;  and  that  he  had  come, 
on  this  occasion,  to  hear  for  himself. 

It  is  true  that  no  man  can  ever  approximate  to  the  power 
over  an  audience  by  him,  of  whom  his  enemies  themselves 
declared  that  "  never  man  spake  like  this  man ;"  but  yet 
that  sight  showed  in  some  slight  degree,  what  may  have  been 
the  scenes  in  Palestine  when  the  'crowds  were  following  the 
Messiah,  and  listening  to  his  preaching.  It  has  been  with 
the  author  constantly,  while  writing  this  book ; — that  in- 
tent face,  that  rapt  attention,  those  glistening  eyes,  that  sur- 
prised and  pleased  look,  and  those  nods  of  assent. 

As  respects  the  order  of  events  in  this  work,  that  in  Rob- 
inson's Harmony  of  the  Gospels  has  been  followed  after  com- 
paring it  with  works  of  a  similar  kind.  For  the  purpose 
of  enabling  the  reader  to  form  a  judgment  for  himself  re- 
specting the  truthfulness  of  the  scenes  depicted,  references 
are  given  throughout  to  authorities,  especially  in  the  Scrip- 
tures themselves. 


PREFACE.  7 

The  first  edition  of  this  book  was  in  a  cheap  form,  as  it 
was  but  an  experiment,  and  the  author  could  not  tell  how 
the  effort  would  be  received :  but  the  commendations  from 
every  direction  lead  him  now  to  reproduce  the  volume 
somewhat  enlarged  and  in  better  style  of  publication,  and 
with  pictorial  illustrations  of  places  and  modes  of  life. 
These  last  have  been  prepared  with  great  care,  and  in  accor- 
dance with  only  the  best  authorities  ancient  and  modern : 
they  are  it  is  believed  correct  representations :  nothing  has 
been  introduced  in  them  merely  for  the  sake  of  pictorial 
effect.  GEORGE  JONES. 

UNITED  STATES  NAVAL  ASYLUM, 
PHILADELPHIA,  May  Nth,  1867. 


Among  the  numerous  books  referred  to  as  authorities  in  addition  to  the 

Scriptures  it  may  be  well  to  give  here  the  following  titles  more  in  detail: — 

H.  S.Alford:  "The  Greek  Testament,  with  a  critically  revised  text  and  a 
critical  commentary." 

8.  T.  Bloomfield:  "The  Greek  Testament,  with  English  notes,  critical,  philo- 
logical, and  exegetical." 

Adam  Clarke :  Commentary  on  the  Scriptures. 

Home:  Introduction  to  the  Critical  Study  and  Knowledge  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, by  Thos.  Hartwell  Home,  M.  A. 

John :  Introduction  to  the  Old  Testament  from  the  Latin  and  Greek  works 
of  John  Jahn,  with  additional  references  and  notes  by  S.  H.  Turner 
D.  D.  and  W.  R.  Whittingham,  D.  D. 

Jahn:  Biblical  Archaeology,  translated  by  T.  C.  Upham. 

Josephus :  Works  of  Flavius  Josephus,  translated  by  William  Whiston,  A.  M. 

Lightfoot:  The  whole  works  of  Rev.  John  Lightfoot.  (9  vols.)Edited  by 
J.  R.  Pitman. 

Olin:  Travels  in  Egypt,  Arabia,  Petrea  and  the  Holy  Land,  by  Rev.  Stephen 
Olin,  D.  D. 

F.  A.  D.  Ohhausen :  Biblical  Commentary  on  the  Gospels. 

Robinson  &  Smith:  Biblical  Researches  in  Palestine,  <fcc. 

F.  A.  D.  Tholuck:  Commentary  on  the  Gospel  of  Saint  John. 

W.  H.  Thomson:  The  Land  and  the  Book. 

Van  de  Velde:  Narrative  of  a  Journey  through  Syria  and  Palestine.          . 


ILLUSTKATIONS. 


PAGS 
1.— PHYLACTERIES *± 

2.— PROFILE  SECTION   OF  PALESTINE  EAST  AND  WEST 48 

3.— PROFILE  SECTION  OF  PALESTINE  NORTH  AND   SOUTH 49 

4.— MEZUZA 68 

5.— REBATED    WALL,    CHARACTERISTIC    OF    JEWISH    ARCHITECTURE: 

FRONT  VIEW  AND  PROFILE   SECTION 112 

6.— PLAN  OF  HEROD'S  TEMPLE 115 

7.-REMAINS  OF  THE   BRIDGE  CONNECTING  THE  TEMPLE  WITH  MOUNT 

ZION 117 

8.— VESTIBULE  TO   UNDERGROUND  PASSAGE  LEADING  UPWARD  TO  THE 

ANCIENT  TEMPLE  COURTS 117 

9.— JEWS'  PRAYING  PLACE  AT  THE  FOOT  OF  THE  ANCIENT  TEMPLE  WALLS.  123 
10.— UNDERGROUND  RESERVOIRS  RECENTLY  DISCOVERED   BENEATH    THE 

SITE  OF  THE  TEMPLE 124 

11.— MOUNTS  GERIZIM   AND  EBAL,  JACOB'S  WELL  AND  JOSEPH'S  TOMB....  136 

12.— NAZARETH  AS  IT  IS  NOW:   VIEWED  FROM  THE  SOUTH-EAST 142 

13.— MAP  OF  THE  LAKE  OF  GALILEE  AND  ADJOINING  COUNTRY 149 

14.— VIEW  OF  THE  LAKE  OF  GALILEE,  HERMON,  Ac.,  FROM  THE  SOUTH 152 

15.— PLAN  OF  A  DAMASCUS  HOUSE *. 166 

16.— NTAIN,  PLAIN  OF  ESDRAELON  AND  MOUNT  TABOR:  VIEWED  FROM  THE 

EAST 190 

17.— POOL  OF  SILO  AM  AS  IT  IS  NOW:   VIEWED  FROM  THE  SOUTH-EAST 230 

18.— BETHLEHEM  AS  IT  IS  NOW:  VIEWED  FROM  THE  NORTH 239 

19.— BETHANY  AS  IT  IS  NOW:   VIEWED  FROM  THE  SOUTH 248 

20.— THE  SYRIAN  SYCAMORE 290 

21.— MAP  OF  JERUSALEM  AND  ITS  PRECINCTS 297 

22.— VIEW  OF  JERUSALEM  AS  SUPPOSED  TO  BE  IN  THE  TIME  OF  CHRIST....  302 
23.— VIEW  OF  THE   MOUNT  OF  OLIVES,  THE  TEMPLE,  &c.,  AT  THE  TIME  OF 

CHRIST'S  PUBLIC  ENTRY  INTO  JERUSALEM 312 

24.— ROMAN  DENARIUS  ("  PENNY") 320 

25.— THE  FLAGELLUM 3FF> 

8 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

AT    THE  JORDAN. 

PAGl 

John  bap  izing — The  river  described — Peculiar  significance  in  this  bap- 
tism of  Jeivi—  Expectation  among  other  nations  as  well  as  in  Judea, 
that  i  great  Conqueror  was,  at  that  time,  to  appear — Circumstances 
to  give  it  peculiar  interest  now — Acts  of  Pilate 17-21 

CHAPTEK  II. 

AT    THE  JORDAN. 

People  flocking  to  the  baptisms — The  Jewish  hopes  of  universal  con- 
quest not  to  be  considered  as  extravagant — John's  appearance — His 
annunciations  draw  closer  attention  to  the  prophecies — The  result — 
Christ  at  the  Jordan— Suggestions  concerning  his  personal  appear- 
ance   21-32 

CHAPTEE  III. 
THE   WILDERNESS    OF  JUDEA. 

Description  of  it — The  Messiah  led  there  to  be  tempted — The  inter- 
mingling of  the  supernatural  with  natural — Our  proper  position 
regarding  such  things 32-36 

CHAPTEE  IV. 

AT   THE  JORDAN. 

The  deputation  to  John  from  the  Sanhedrim — The  Pharisees  and  Saddu- 
cees  described — John  is  questioned,  and  his  replies...., 37-46 

CHAPTEE  V. 

CONDITION   OF    PALESTINE. 

That  country  central,  and  yet  singularly  isolated — History — Judea 
finally  becomes  a  Koman  province 47-58 


10  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

JEWISH    MANNERS    AND    CUSTOMS. 

PAOB 

Great  religious  changes  wrought  by  the  captivity — Dress — Manners — 
Education — Jewish  physiognomy — The  Mezuza 58-68 

CHAPTER  VII. 

JEWISH    FESTIVALS. 

Not  so  burdensome  as  they  appear  to  us — How  they  journeyed  to  them 
— Some  observances  on  their  arrival 68-80 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

OVERCLOUDING    OF   THE  JEWISH    MIND. 
The  Oral  Law  and  its  Power— The  Talmuds 81-88 

CHAPTER  IX. 

JOST,  A   MODERN  JEWISH    HISTORIAN. 
His  views  of  that  period:  of  the  Baptist:  of  Christ 88-94 


CHAPTER  X. 

AT    THE  JORDAN. 

Agitations,  queries  and  doubts  among  the  multitudes— Discipleship 
commenced — Various  circumstances  of  it — Cephas — Nathaniel's  ques- 
tion   95-100 

CHAPTER  XI. 

AT    CAN  A   IN    GALILEE. 

Why  Christ  chose  Galilee  for  the  beginning  of  his  ministry;  and 
why  such  discipleship — "What  Josephus  says  of  Galilee— Christ  at  a 
Marriage  feast — The  sensations  in  the  company — The  question  re- 
specting wines 100-109 

CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    TEMPLE. 

The  first,  second,  and  third  Temples — The  last  described — Eecent  explo- 
rations beneath 110-125 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE    TEMPLE    CLEANSED. 

Abominations  in  its  courts — Cattle,  money-changers,  &c — Christ  corrects 
the  evil...,  ..  126-130 


CONTENTS.  \  I 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

NICODEMUS. 

PACK 

Night-visit  from  this  ruler — John  imprisoned 130-134 

CHAPTEK  XV. 

IN   SAMARIA   AND    GALILEE. 

Jesus  passes  through  Samaria — Claims  the  Messiahship — Goes  thence 
to  Cana — Cures  a  nobleman's  son 134-140 

CHAPTEK  XVI. 

AT    NAZARETH. 

Plain  of  Esdraelon  described— Situation  of  Nazareth— Christ  preaches 
there  in  the  Synagogue— Claims  the  Messiahship — The  result 141-148 

CHAPTEK  XVII. 

THE   LAKE    OF   GALILEE,  CAPERNAUM. 

The  lake  described— Plain  of  Gennesaret— Question  about  the  situation 
of  Capernaum 148-166 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

AT    CAPERNAUM   AND    THROUGH    GALILEE. 

Evening  scene  at  Capernaum— The  Messiah  goes  through  Galilee 
preaching  and  healing — Leper  healed 157-165 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

AT  CAPERNAUM THE  PARALYTIC  HEALED. 

How  eastern  houses  are  built — The  paralytic  placed  before  Christ  and 
healed— The  Pharisees  and  Doctors  of  the  Law  startled 165-171 

CHAPTER  XX. 

AT  JERUSALEM  ;    ALSO   AT    CAPERNAUM. 

Christ  goes  to  the  Passover — Heals  a  man  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda — 
League  between  Pharisees  and  Herodians  to  put  the  Messiah  to  death 
— He  returns  to  Capernaum — Heals  many  there 171-178 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

SERMON    ON   THE    MOUNT. 

Also  the  teachings  of  their  Eabbis— He  heals  the  servant  of  a  centu- 
rion...,    179-188 


1 2  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XXII. 
AT    NAIN. 

PAGE 

Situation  of  this  city — Ceremonies  at  Jewish  funerals — Only  son  of  a 
widow  restored  to  life 188-194 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

CASTLE    OF   MACHERUS — JOHN'S    DEATH. 
Messengers  from  John  to  Christ— The  end  of  the  Baptist 194-198 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE    TWO    DINNERS. 

Christ  makes  another  journey  through  Galilee — Dines  with  a  Pharisee, 
and  the  scene  there — He  crosses  the  lake — Storm;  the  sea  calmed  by 
his  word — Dinner  with  Levi — Healings — Another  circuit  through 
Galilee — Again  comes  to  Nazareth : 199-207 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
"LET  us  MAKE  HIM  A  KING." 

He  crosses  the  lake — Five  thousand  fed  miraculously — They  would  make 
him  a  king — Storm  on  the  lake — He  walks  on  the  water — Many 
healings — Four  thousand  miraculously  fed 207-216 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE    TRANSFIGURATION. 
He  goes  to  Csesarea  Philippi— The  Transfiguration  there 216-222 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

DISPUTE   AMONG   THE   APOSTLES    ON   THE   WAY   BACK 
TO    GALILEE. 

His  mode  of  instructing  them — He  goes  through  Samaria — Ten  lepers 
healed 222-227 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

JERUSALEM FEAST    OF    TABERNACLES. 

This  feast  described— Dancing  in  the  temple  court  as  part  of  it 227-234 


CONTENTS.  13 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE    MESSIAH    AT    THE    FEAST    OF   TABERNACLES. 

PAGE 

Teaches  there — Officers  sent  by  the  rulers  to  watch  him;  the  result.  234-245 
CHAPTER  XXX. 

BETHANY  AND  THE  ROAD  TO  JERICHO. 

Situation  of  Bethany — The  road  to  Jericho  described — Parable  of  the 
Good  Samaritan. 246-252 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE    MAN   BORN   BLIND. 

Different  kinds  of  excommunication— The  blind  man  healed— Conse- 
quences   252-259 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE   FEAST    OF   DEDICATION. 

Why  instituted — Christ  preaching  at  the  temple — Attempt  at  violence 
upon  him— He  goes  to  Perea 259-263 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

RAISING    OF   LAZARUS. 

Message  to  Christ  from  Bethany— Death  of  Lazarus— Scenes  then  and 
afterwards  at  Bethany— Lazarus  raised 263-271 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

IN   EPHRAIM   AND    PEREA. 

Many  teachings  and  parables  in  these  places — Healing  also — Receives 
and  blesses  little  children 271-278 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

JERICHO. 

The  richness  and  beauty  of  its  plain 278-286 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

THE    MESSIAH    AT  JERICHO BLIND    MEN    HEALED. 

Zaccheus — Startling  rumor  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  was  immedi- 
ately to  appear — Bartimeus 286-291 

2 


14  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEK  XXXVII. 

JERUSALEM   DESCRIBED. 

PAG* 

Its  picturesque  appearance  as  seen  from  the  Mount  of  Olives —  Recent 
explorations  under  the  city 295-306 

CHAPTEK  XXXVIII. 

THE    PUBLIC    ENTRY. 

The  road  across  the  Mount  of  Olives — Christ  goes  from  Bethany  to  Jeru- 
salem— Multitudes  meeting  and  attending  him — Their  hosannas — He 
weeps  over  the  city — Goes  to  the  Temple — Healings  there— Shouts  of 
hosanna — Indignation  of  the  priests  and  Scribes 306-316 

CHAPTEE  XXXIX. 

AT  THE  TEMPLE WOES  DENOUNCED. 

Christ  again  cleanses  the  temple — The  Pharisees  wish  to  put  Lazarus 
also  to  death — They  unite  again  with  the  Herodians — Woes  denounced 
against  them  and  the  Scribes— He  predicts  his  sufferings— The  Hero- 
ism of  Christianity 316-327 

CHAPTER   XL. 
THE    PLOT. 

They  are  determined  to  take  the  Messiah  by  subtilty  and  put  him  to 
death — Difficulties  in  the  way — Their  law  for  trials — Their  plot — List 
of  the  high  priests 327-335 

CHAPTER  XLI. 

SUPPER   AT   BETHANY — JUDAS. 

Christ's  head  and  feet  anointed  at  the  supper — Indignation  of  Judas — 
His  probable  course  of  reasoning — He  bargains  to  betray  Christ..  335-340 

CHAPTER  XLII. 

THE    PASSOVER   FEAST. 

Its  origin — The  posture  at  table — Christ  and  the  Apostles  at  this  supper 
— He  washes  their  feet — Judas  unmasked — Usual  order  of  the  supper 
—The  Christian  Eucharist  instituted 340-352 

CHAPTER  XLIIL 

GETHSEMANE. 

The  Messiah  and  eleven  disciples  retire  to  this  place — His  prayers  there 
— The  sweat  of  blood — Is  seized  and  bound....  ..  352-358 


CONTENTS.  15 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 

HALL    OF   CAIAPHAS. 

PAGE 

The  Messiah  taken  to  the  house  of  Annas,  and  why — Thence  to  the  palace 
of  Caiaphas — The  trial  there — The  adjuration  by  the  high  priest — 
The  result — Christ's  claims  to  the  Godhead  throughout  his  preachings 
—Peter  denies  his  Lord— His  remorse 358-368 

CHAPTEK  XLV. 

THE    TRIAL    BEFORE    PILATE. 

This  to  be  the  Chagigah,  or  great  day  of  rejoicing  by  the  Jews — The 
ceremony  of  cutting  the  first-fruits — The  regular  Sanhedrim  council 
— The  Messiah  before  them — Formally  condemned — Taken  before 
Pilate — The  governor's  character  by  Philo — The  Trial  there — Christ 
is  sent,  next,  before  Herod  Antipas — Scene  there — Is  returned  to  Pi-  ^ 
late — His  crucifixion  demanded — How  that  punishment  was  regarded 
by  the  Romans — Pilate  yields  to  the  demand,  and  gives  sentence — 
Judas  and  the  Sanhedrim 368-383 

CHAPTEK  XLVI. 

THE    CRUCIFIXION. 

The  usual  scourging  preparatory  j  how  severe— The  Messiah  is  taken  to 
the  place  of  crucifixion — Nailing  to  the  cross — The  agonies  attending 
such  a  death — Darkness  over  the  land — The  final  agony  and  cry — 
Earthquake — The  centurion's  exclamation — The  side  pierced — "Be- 
hold the  Lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world"..  383-396 

CHAPTER  XLVII. 

THE    BURIAL. 

Joseph  of  Arimathea  and  Nicodemus  place  the  body  in  a  new  sepulchre 
— The  women  follow  it,  and  sit  by  the  tomb — The  Jewish  rulers  pro- 
cure a  guard,  and  seal  the  tomb — How  this  night  closed  over  Jerusa- 
lem..., ..  397-405 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

THE    RESURRECTION. 

Moon  near  the  full — The  guards  at  the  tomb — An  angel  appears — The 
resurrection — The  guards  bribed,  and  a  false  report  sent  abroad — The 
Sanhedrim  never  dared  to  make  issue  with  the  apostles  on  this  sub- 
ject.   405-4H 


1 6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEK  XLIX. 

AFTER    THE    RESURRECTION — THE    ASCENSION. 

PACK 

The  Saviour  is  seen  repeatedly  through  forty  days  after  his  resurrection 
— Galilee  chosen  for  the  Great  Commission  and  the  great  promise — 
The  final  manifestation  of  himself  at  the  Mount  of  Olives — His 
ascension 411-426 

CHAPTER  L. 
"WHAT  THINK  YE  OF  CHRIST?" 

The  account  of  him  in  the  Gospels  must  have  been  from  actual  life — 
Evidences  for  the  Gospels,  from  early  heathen  writings  :  from  Chris- 
tian writers  of  same  time — Notices  of  the  evangelists — The  conclu- 
sion..., ...  426-410 


UHIVBRSIT7] 


LIFE-SCENES 


CHAPTER   I. 
AT  THE  JORDAN. 

FT!  HERE  was  a  very  strange  scene  at  the  banks  of  the 
•  Jordan.  The  time  of  which  we  are  writing  was  about 
eighteen  hundred  and  thirty-seven  years  ago ;  and  the  scene 
referred  to  was  a  large  gathering  of  excited  people  around  a 
man  of  singular  appearance,  who  was  making  a  most  won- 
derful announcement,  and  was  engaging  in  a  baptismal  rite 
of  startling  significance.  He  was  a  gaunt  ascetic;  in  his 
dress  and  manner,  and  in  his  authoritative  language,  remind- 
ing all  who  saw  and  heard  him  of  the  old  prophets;  and, 
indeed,  in  his  appearance  so  much  resembling  Elijah,  that 
the  query  was  immediately  started  in  every  man's  mind, 
whether  he  was  not  actually  that  prophet  risen  from  the 
dead.  The  idea  of  such  a  resurrection  of  Elijah  was 
familiar  to  the  minds  of  the  Jews;  for  the  belief  had  long 
been  universal  among  them  that,  restored  to  life,  he  would 
be  the  precursor  of  their  expected  Messiah.  This  man  was 
proclaiming,  "Repent  ye,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at 
hand."  It  was  believed  by  the  Jews  that,  at  the  appearing 
of  the  Messiah,  they  were  to  be  initiated  by  baptism  into 
the  new  dispensation  of  his  kingdom;1  and  here,  now,  they 


1  Bloomfield  on  Matt.  iii.  1. 
2*  17 


l8        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

were  called  to  come  and  to  be  baptized ;  and  numbers,  after 
confessing  their  sins,  were  led  down  into  the  Jordan  for  that 
rite. 

The  scenery  all  around  was  in  character  with  the  strange 
performer  in  this  ceremony; — a  desert  spot,  represented  by 
a  modern  traveller  to  that  region  as  a  dreary  waste.,  "  weird, 
and  singularly  wild  and  impressive/7  The  Jordan  is  a  very 
peculiar  stream.  After  issuing  from  the  Lake  of  Tiberias, 
which  is  itself  652  feet  below  the  level  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean, its  course  is  southwardly,  in  a  valley  called  by  the 
present  natives  El  Ghor,  or  "the  depression,'7  five  or  six 
miles  wide,  and  sunk  from  1000  to  1200  feet  below  the 
adjacent  country.  Running  lengthwise  in  the  Ghor  is  a 
second  valley,  depressed  below  it  to  a  depth  of  fifty  feet, 
and  with  a  width  of  400  yards;  and  then,  sunk  again  in 
this,  and  winding  about  in  a  most  tortuous  manner,  is  the 
channel  of  the  river.  The  stream  has  an  average  width  of 
fifty-six  yards,  with  commonly  a  depth  of  from  three  to  five 
feet.  The  current  is  usually  rapid,  for  the  distance  between 
the  Lake  of  Tiberias  and  the  Dead  Sea  is,  in  a  straight  line, 
sixty  miles,  and  the  descent  between  them  is  660  feet. 
Sometimes  the  stream  presents  cataracts,  at  others  it  expands 
and  has  a  gentle  flow.  Where  it  is  rapid,  the  bottom  con- 
sists of  rock  or  sand.  The  channel  is  fringed  at  its  imme- 
diate sides  with  rushes  or  cane,  and  also  with  willows  and 
similar  trees,  which,  in  the  utter  barrenness  around,  are  a 
pleasant  relief  to  the  eye.  Such  is  the  stream  so  often 
referred  to  in  our  hymnology,  and  so  dear,  by  its  associations, 
to  every  Christian  heart.  Its  channel  being  so  far  below 
the  level  of  the  Ghor  that  its  water  never  overflows  into  the 
latter;  and  this  wide  valley  having  no  springs,  the  region  is 
mostly  a  scene  of  desolation,  and  appears  to  have  been  so  in 
the  earliest  times.1  The  soil  at  the  spot  we  have  now  under 


1  See  Josephns  De  bello,  iii.  10,  I  7. 


AT   THE   JORDAN.  19 

consideration  is  described  by  modern  travellers  as  "unfertile, 
and  in  many  places  encrusted  with  salt,  and  having  small 
heaps  of  white  powder,  like  sulphur,  scattered  at  short 
intervals  over  its  surface."1  The  hills  bounding  the  Ghor 
are  generally  abrupt  and  broken,  and  are  always  naked  and 
painful  to  the  eye.  On  the  east  they  are  soon  succeeded  by 
ranges  2000  or  2500  feet  in  height;  and,  back  of  these,  is 
finally  the  very  lofty  range  of  Mount  Nebo,  its  summit 
forming  a  horizontal  line  smooth  and  unbroken,  as  if  an 
immense  wall  had  there  been  built  up  against  the  sky. 

This  will  give  us  an  idea  of  the  wildness  and  desolation 
of  the  spot  called  in  the  Scriptures  "the  Wilderness  of 
Judea,"  where  this  strange  man  was  now  proclaiming  his 
startling  doctrines,  and  was  administering  baptism  in  the 
Jordan.  His  cry  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  was  at  hand, 
quickly  repeated  throughout  Judea,  and  also  in  the  regions 
bordering  eastwardly  on  the  river  valley,  sent  a  thrill 
through  every  Jewish  heart,  and  met  there  a  ready  response : 
for  there  had  been  an  expectancy  of  this  kind  universally 
cherished  by  the  Jews  (a  temporal  kingdom  however),  and 
indeed,  not  confined  to  them  alone.  PERCREBUERAT,  says 
the  Roman  historian,  Suetonius,  ORIENTE  TOTO,  VETUS  ET 

CONSTANS   OPINIO  ESSE   IN   FATIS,  UT   EO   TEMPORE   JlJDEA 

PROFECTI  RERUM  POTIRENTUR :  There'  had  been  greatly 
multiplied  through  all  the  East  an  old  uninterrupted  opinion, 
originating  in  the  decree  of  the  Fates,  that,  at  this  time,  persons 
coming  from  Judea  should  obtain  universal  dominion?  Tacitus 
informs  us  that  the  multitude  [in  Judea]  relied  upon  an  ancient 
prophecy,  contained,  as  they  believed,  in  books  kept  by  the 
priests,  in  which  it  was  foretold  that,  at  this  time,  the  power  of 
the  East  would  prevail  over  the  nations,  and  a  race  of  men 


1  Eobinson's   Bib.   Researches.     This   Description  of  the   Ghor  and 
Jordan  is  drawn  from  Kobinson,  Van  de  Velde,  and  the  Dead  Sea  Expe- 
dition. 

2  In  Vespas. 


20       LIFE- SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

should  go  forth  from  Judea  to  extend  ilieir  dominion  over  all 
ilie  rest  of  the  world.1  Joseph  us  says:  But  now  what  did 
most  elevate  them  [the  Jews}  in  this  war  was  an  ambiguous 
oracle  that  was  also  found  in  their  sacred  writings ,  how,  about 
that  timey  one  from  their  country  should  become  governor  of  the 
habitable  world.2 

These  expectations,  it  is  evident,  had  reference  only  to  an 
earthly  sovereignty;  but  as  such  they  met  even  a  heartier 
response  among  the  Jews  than  any  of  a  more  spiritual 
character  would  have  done;  for  the  nation  was  just  beginning 
to  feel  the  full  terrors  of  the  Roman  power,  which  had 
enclosed  them  in  its  iron  embrace,  and  from  which  they 
knew  there  was  no  escape  by  human  aid.  Their  indepen- 
dence may  be  said  to  have  been  fully  bartered  away  for 
Eoman  favor  by  Herod  the  Great.  Archelaus,  his  successor 
to  part  of  his  kingdom,  was  deposed  by  Augustus  Caesar, 
and  banished  to  Gaul;  and  Roman  governors  were  appointed 
to  Judea;  the  sceptre  having  clearly,  to  every  perception, 
departed,  and  their  country  now  become  only  a  Roman 
province,  from  which  successive  rulers  tried  who  could  exact 
the  most.  Roman  soldiers  were  scattered,  in  garrison,  in 
various  parts;  tax-gatherers  ("publicans")  were  to  be  seen 
everywhere,  and  were  constantly,  to  the  eyes  of  the  oppressed 
inhabitants,  reminders  of  their  subjection  to  foreign  power, 
and  were  hated,  not  only  for  this,  but  for  their  unjust 
exactions;  and  most  alarming  of  all,  aii  act  of  their  present 
governor,  Pontius  Pilate,  had  shown  them  how  insecure 
were  their  religious  observances,  and  how  exposed  they  were 
to  the  violation  of  the  most  cherished  feelings  of  their 
nation.  *  Their  law  forbade  their  paying  any  homage  to 
images;  and  the  former  governors,  when  ordering  the  Roman 
soldiers  to  Jerusalem,  had  directed  them  to  come  without 
the  standards  surmounted  by  the  emperor's  effigies,  to  which, 


1  Hist,  lib  v.  12.  2  j)e  bel]O)  vi 


AT   THE   JORDAN.  21 

when  seen,  honors  were  always  required  to  be  paid.  Pilate, 
aware  of  this  hostility  to  images,  had  recently  directed  his 
soldiers  to  be  introduced  into  the  city  by  night;1  and  morn- 
ing disclosed  the  hated  effigies  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  the 
castle  of  Antonia  adjoining  the  temple  enclosure  itself. 
Horror  seized  upon  all  the  people,  and  a  deputation  hastened 
with  remonstrances  to  the  governor  at  Csesarea.  He  treated 
their  act  as  an  insult  to  the  emperor,  and  had  the  deputies 
surrounded  by  his  soldiers;  but  the  effort  to  overawe  them 
was  futile;  they  fell  to  the  ground  and  offered  their  necks  to 
the  sword,  rather  than  yield;  and,  finally,  the  obnoxious 
emblems  were  withdrawn.  Afterwards,  when  the  governor, 
seizing  on  some  of  the  revenues  of  the  temple,  employed 
them  in  bringing  water  to  the  city,  the  inhabitants  shocked 
at  such  use  of  the  sacred  treasures,  rose  in  tumult;  a  collision 
with  the  soldiers  was  the  consequence,  and  great  havoc 
among  the  unarmed  multitudes  ensued. 


CHAPTER  II. 
AT  THE  JORDAN. 

IT  is  not  wonderful  therefore,  that  just  at  this  time  the 
national  heart  was  ready  to  be  acted  upon  by  such  a 
scene  as  that  at  the  Jordan,  where  the  prophet-like  man 
stood  calling  people  to  the  cleansing  of  their  hearts  as  a 
preparation  for  the  new,  significant  rite  connected  with  the 
coming  of  their  expected  great  Deliverer;  and  that  multi- 
tudes flocked  to  him  from  regions  far  and  near.  He  had 


1  Jos.  Antiq.  xviii.  3,  \  1. 


22       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

selected  a  spot  called  Bethabara,  or  the  house  of  the  ford,* 
seemingly  a  thoroughfare,  while  also  a  place  remote  from 
such  complications  as  might  arise  from  crowded  neighbor- 
hoods: and  there,  where  all  nature  in  its  sternness  harmo- 
nized with  him  and  with  the  severe  simplicity  of  his  call 
and  his  act,  he  was  soon  surrounded  by  crowds  "from 
Jerusalem  and  all  Judea  and  all  the  region  round  about 
Jordan."  They  saw  a  man  with  only  a  garment  of  rough 
camel's  hair  such  as  was  worn  by  the  poorest,  fastened  by  a 
leathern  girdle; — locusts  and  wild  honey  for  his  food.  Lo- 
custs are  still  eaten  in  Syria,  chiefly,  however,  by  the  Beda- 
win  on  the  extreme  frontiers  of  the  desert,  where  after  being 
semi-boiled  and  salted  and  dried,  they  are  packed  up  and 
kept  for  use.  They  may  be  seen  in  the  Syrian  shops  for 
sale,  but  are  always  considered  as  an  inferior  food,  and  are 
eaten  only  by  persons  of  the  poorest  class.2  This  man  had 
been  brought  up  in  the  desert,  and  he  still  adhered  to  this 
abstemious  food. 

Baptism  was  not  unknown  to  the  Jews,  for  it  is  generally 
admitted  to  have  been  a  rite  in  use  among  them  for  the 
admission  of  proselytes,3  and  it  was  practiced  by  the  Per- 
sians and  other  oriental  nations.  Josephus  informs  us  of 
the  Essenes, — a  noted  sect  in  his  nation, — that  "when 
a  proselyte  hath  given  evidence  during  that  time  of  trial 
[a  year]  that  he  can  observe  their  continence,  he  approaches 
nearer  to  their  way  of  living,  and  is  made  a  partaker  of  the 
waters  of  purification."4  But  the  Essenes  were  a  sect  few 
in  number  and  living  in  retired  places;  and  these  baptismal 

1  Van  de  Velde  supposes  Bethabara  to  have  been  at  the  present  ford 
on  the  way  from  Nablus  (Sychera)  to  Es  Salt,  about  twenty  miles  above 
the  Pilgrims'  bathing-place  near  Jericho.     He  bases  this  opinion  on  the 
time  (two  days  and  a  half)  allowed  in  John  ii.  1,  in  going  from  the  bap- 
tismal scene,  to  Cana  in  Galilee.     The  width  of  the  Jordan  at  this  spot 
is  56  yards ;  the  depth  about  four  feet. 

2  Thompson's  Land  and  the  Book.  3  Bloomfield. 
*  De  Bello,  ii.  8,  \  7. 


AT  THE  JORDAN.  23 

scenes  at  the  Jordan  had  evidently  a  significance  different 
from  anything  which  the  nation  had  previously  known. 
The  prophet-like  man  gave  them  their  significance,  corres- 
ponding to  the  general  belief  of  the  dispensation  to  be 
inaugurated  by  the  Messiah. 

That  desert  was  now  solitary  no  more.  Crowds  were 
flocking  to  it;  for  the  cry  of  the  Baptist  that  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  was  at  hand,  repeated  over  all  the  country,  had 
startled  the  people  out  of  the  lethargy  wrought  by  oppres- 
sions, or  by  a  fear  that  God  had  withdrawn  from  them; 
for,  during  a  period  of  400  years,  there  had  been  no  prophet 
in  Israel. 

John  the  Baptist  looked  as  if  he  might  well  be  Elijah 
himself; — so  like  him  in  this  hairy  dress,  in  his  manner,  in 
his  authoritative  proclamation ;  and  yet  he  was  speaking  of 
himself  humbly,  saying  that  one  was  coming  immeasurably 
greater  than  he. 

What  might  the  nation  not  expect?  What  hopes  could 
be  too  extravagant  to  be  indulged?  We  must  not  think 
them  insane  in  their  expectation  of  an  universal  dominion; 
for  they  believed  that  it  had  been  promised  by  Jehovah,  and 
almost  every  spot  in  their  land  bore  testimony  to  God's 
former  powerful  action  in  their  behalf.  Just  below  this 
place,  where  John  was  baptizing,  God  had  divided  the  deep 
waters  of  the  Jordan  in  its  rapid  flow,  and  had  kept  them 
divided  till  his  people  had  passed  over  dry-shod;  there, 
Jericho  had  fallen  simply  by  his  almighty  will ;  their  history 
was  full  of  his  direct  interpositions  for  their  advantage, — 
what  would  he  not  do  for  them  now,  if  the  Messiah  himself, 
the  Prince,  were  to  appear? 

Those  eastern  people  are  excitable  and  demonstrative,  and, 
in  their  common  moods,  seem  often  to  strangers  to  be  wildly 
emotional ;  and  we  may  imagine  the  scene,  as  people  hurried 
to  the  river  and  gazed  on  John  with  an  intensity  of  feeling 
that  had  never  before  been  raised  in  them  by  any  man;  and 


24       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

listened  to  his  call  to  repentance  and  the  reasons  for  it,  and 
witnessed  his  baptisms; — saw  the  penitents  descend,  with 
the  sadness  of  grief  in  their  faces;  and  saw  them  come  up 
from  the  river,  comforted  and  cheerful.  Such  feelings  are 
contagious;  and  every  new-comer  felt  in  himself  the  need 
of  penitence,  and  longings  for  relief  that  could  be  bestowed 
only  by  a  power  not  of  earth. 

The  teachings  of  John  were  plain  and  simple.  As  a 
proof  of  penitence  and  of  changed  feelings  in  those  apply- 
ing to  him,  he  inculcated  benevolence  and  kind  acts  :  "  He 
that  hath  two  coats,  let  him  impart  to  him  that  hath  none; 
and  he  that  hath  meat  let  him  do  likewise." 

The  crowd  around  him  was  a  mixed  one; — men  among 
them  shunned  by  their  neighbors,  looked  down  upon  with 
dislike  by  almost  every  one  in  the  nation,  and  yet  with 
human  feelings,  and  with  the  same  longings  as  others  to 
shake  off  the  load  of  guilt  and  to  be  comforted.  Such  were 
the  "publicans"  who  presented  themselves  before  the  Bap- 
tist. We  can  almost  see  their  hesitating  manner,  their 
subdued  look,  and  their  timid  approach.  They  were  not 
repelled.  No  harshness  shown, — simply  the  injunction  given, 
in  order  to  prove  the  truth  of  their  penitence:  "Exact  no 
more  than  is  appointed  you." 

Soldiers  also  came,  with  that  old  question  of  the  human 
heart  wanting  relief,  "What  shall  we  do?"  The  Roman 
garrisons  in  Judea  were  drawn  partly  from  Italy,  but  were 
chiefly  composed  of  Syrians  from  the  north  of  Palestine,  or 
of  foreign  wanderers  who  had  strayed  into  the  country;  and 
generally  there  was  no  good  will  between  them  and  the 
Jews.  But  there  were  exceptions,  such  as  we  may  see 
shortly  after  this,  in  the  case  of  Cornelius  of  the  Italian 
band.  The  soldiers  at  the  Jordan  pressed  on  towards  the 
Baptist; — for  the  powerful  sympathies  of  the  place  had 
seized  on  them,  and  had  changed  their  bold,  fierce  nature 
into  one  of  humble  inquiry.  The  crowds  gazed  earnestly, 


AT  THE  JORDAN.  25 

as  they  advanced.  How  would  these  men,  famed  for  rapacity 
and  violence,  be  received?  Some  looked  on  them  with 
indignation  at  their  presumption  in  intruding  on  such  scenes; 
some  with  the  cordiality  begot  by  the  new  feelings  at  the 
baptism;  all  with  deep  interest  as  the  Baptist  addressed 
them.  His  words  had  a  latent  reproof,  and  yet  were  gentle. 
aDo  violence  to  no  man,  neither  accuse  any  falsely,  and  be 
content  with  your  wages."  The  rite  was  open  to  all  coming 
in  penitence. 

But  there  was  suddenly  a  change  in  the  character  of  this 
scene.  A  sensation  was  created  among  the  multitudes  by 
the  approach  of  men  of  rank  and  power,  who  came  011 
proudly  in  the  consciousness  of  their  position, — Pharisees 
with  high  pretensions  to  sanctity  which  they  carried  osten- 
tatiously in  the  large  phylacteries  on  their  foreheads  and 
arms,  and  in  the  width  of  the  borders  to  their  garments 
drawing  attention  to  their  unusual  observance  of  the  Mosaic 
law  (see  Numbers  xv.  37-41); — also  Sadducees  proud  of 
their  wealth  and  assumed  superior  intelligence.  Both 
undisguisedly  despised  the  ranks  inferior  to  them.  The 
multitudes  drew  back  as  this  newly  arrived  party  swept 
haughtily  on;  and  presently  these  caught  the  eye  of  the 
Baptist. 

What  a  change  there  was  in  him!  How  his  eyes  lighted 
up;  how  indignant  the  expression  of  his  face;  how  changed 
was  his  voice  from  its  former  gentleness!  And  his  words 
were  stunning.  "  O  brood  of  vipers,  who  hath  warned  you 
to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come?  Bring  forth  therefore  fruits 
meet  for  repentance:  and  think  not  to  say  within  yourselves, 
We  have  Abraham  to  our  father:  for  I  say  unto  you,  that  God 
is  able  of  these  stones  to  raise  up  children  unto  Abraham. 
And  now  also  the  axe  is  laid  unto  the  root  of  the  trees  ; 
therefore  every  tree  which  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit  is 
hewn  down  and  cast  into  the  fire.  I  indeed  baptize  you 
with  water  unto  repentance;  but  he  that  cometh  after  me  is 


26       LIfE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

mightier  than  I,  whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  bear:  he 
shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  fire; 
whose  fan  is  in  his  hand,  and  he  will  thoroughly  purge  his 
floor,  and  gather  his  wheat  into  the  garner;  but  he  will  burn 
up  the  chaff  with  unquenchable  fire/' 

The  whole  scene  by  the  Jordan  was  becoming  more  and 
more  confounding  to  people's  apprehensions;  for,  not  only 
had  the  bold  ascetic  stigmatized  these  Jewish  leaders  in  a 
manner  that  must  excite  their  wrath,  but  he  had  even  seemed 
to  cast  disrespect  on  all  claims  arising  from  Abrahamic 
descent.  He  had  ended  also  with  words  of  terrific  import 
respecting  approaching  events,  when  all  false  pretensions 
wrould  be  scattered  to  the  winds,  and  those  who  held  them 
would  be  fearfully  and  eternally  punished.  Fear,  awe,  and 
a  new  sense  of  shrinking  respect  for  the  Baptist,  crept 
through  the  hearts  of  the  multitudes,  while  yet  they  con- 
tinued to  be  attracted  by  his  general  mildness  and  forbear- 
ance, and  his  gentleness  to  the  truly  penitent  coming  forward 
for  the  baptismal  rite. 

The  news  of  these  scenes  still  continued  to  spread  over 
the  country,  and  crowds  were  still  hurrying  from  all  parts 
of  it  to  that  wild,  dreary  region,  already  filled  with  excited, 
wondering  throngs. 

But  who  was  this  man,  whose  fame  was  now  filling  the 
land?  People  were  asking  the  question  everywhere,  and 
the  results  of  inquiry  disclosed  some  very  interesting  facts. 

John's  b'irth  had  been  in  the  old  age  of  his  parents,  and 
had  been  heralded  by  an  angel.  His  father,  a  priest,  while 
administering  at  the  altar  of  incense  in  the  temple,  had  seen 
the  heavenly  visitant  who  announced  the  approaching  birth 
of  the  child,  and  said  that  he  should  be  great  in  the  sight 
of  the  Lord,  and  should  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 
"And,"  continued  the  angel,  "many  of  the  children  of 
Israel  shall  be  turned  to  the  Lord  their  God.  And  he  shall 
go  before  him  in  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elias,  to  turn  the 


AT   THE   JORDAN.  27 

hearts  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  disobedient  to 
the  wisdom  of  the  just;  to  make  ready  a  people  prepared 
for  the  Lord."  The  father  was  struck  dumb,  at  the  time, 
on  account  of  his  unbelief;  but  recovered  speech  when  the 
child,  eight  days  after  its  birth,  was  brought  to  the  temple, 
where,  contrary  to  the  expectations  of  relatives,  he  named 
his  son  John,  according  to  the  direction  of  the  angel.  These 
incidents  were  widely  known  at  the  time  "throughout  all 
the  hill  country  of  Judea,"  and  produced  dread  as  well  as 
astonishment  in  the  minds  of  the  people.1  He  was,  accord- 
ing to  j:he  direction  of  the  angel,  to  "  drink  neither  wine 
nor  strong  drink ;"  and  his  training  is  believed  to  have  been 
in  that  most  desolate  region  called  the  "  Wilderness  of 
Judea,"  where  probably  he  associated  much  with  the  Essenes, 
a  singular  people,  living  chiefly  at  the  only  verdant  spot  in 
that  desert — the  fountain  and  ravine  of  En-Gedi,  on  the 
borders  of  the  Dead  Sea.  In  this  desert2  he  "grew  strong 
in  spirit,"  and  was  prepared  for  his  present  work  of  teaching 
and  baptizing.  He  was  now  about  thirty  years  old,  the  age 
at  which  the  Jewish  priests  entered  upon  the  temple  duties 
according  to  their  law. 

Josephus  says  of  him,  that  he  "was  a  good  man,  and 
commanded  the  Jews  to  exercise  virtue,  both  as  to  righteous- 
ness towards  one  another,  and  piety  towards  God,  and  so  to 
come  to  baptism;  for  that  the  washing  would  be  acceptable 
to  him,  if  they  made  use  of  it,  not  in  order  to  the  putting 
away  of  some  sins  only,  but  for  the  purification  of  the  body ; 
supposing  still  that  the  soul  was  thoroughly  purified  before- 
hand by  righteousness."3 


1  His  birth  is  supposed  by  Robinson  and  Reland  to  have  been  at  Juttah 
(Joshua  xxi.  16,)  a  town  about  five  miles  south  of  Hebron,  and  twenty- 
five  miles  south  of  Jerusalem. 

2  Luke  i.  80. 

8  Antiq.  xviii.  5,  §  2.     Josephus  gives  John's  popularity  as  the  cause 
for  Herod's  putting  him  to  death,  "since,"  as  he  says,  "they  came  in 


28       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

His  exhortations  were  various ;!  but  they  all  pointed 
clearly  to  the  Messiah  as  now  about  to  appear ;  he  asked 
no  honors  for  himself;  they  were  all  to  be  given  to  one  yet 
to  come.  In  his  recent  address  to  the  Pharisees  and  Saddu- 
cees,  he  sppjke  of  himself  as  immeasurably  inferior  to  him 
whose  appearance  he  was  heralding ;  for  to  bear  the  shoes 
of  a  master  in  that  country  was  the  task  assigned  to  the 
meanest  of  servants,  and  yet  the  Baptist  declared  himself 
not  even  worthy  of  such  an  office  as  that.  Therefore,  while 
curiosity  with  regard  to  John  was  stimulated  among  this 
demonstrative  people  to  the  highest  degree,  it  took  a  still 
more  intense  form  as  regarded  the  tenor  of  his  predictions. 
The  excitement  among  all  classes  was  great.  Their  Kabbis 
pearched  the  Scriptures,  and  especially  the  prophecies,  with 
an  interest  suited  to  their  wonderful  expectations  of  earthly 
glory  and  power  to  come  with  the  Messiah,  to  their  hatred 
of  the  Roman  government,  and  to  their  felt  position  among 
all  the  nations  of  the  earth :  for  the  Jews  were  everywhere 
a  slighted  and  despised  people;  while,  on  the  other  hand, 
"  towards  the  rest  of  mankind,"  says  Tacitus, "  they  nourished 
a  sullen  and  inveterate  hatred  of  strangers."2 

The  dying  words  of  their  great  progenitor,  Jacob,  had 
been,  ever  since  his  time,  dwelling  as  a  perpetual  hope  in 
the  national  heart — "The  sceptre  shall  not  depart  from 
Judah,  nor  a  lawgiver  from  between  his  feet  until  Shiloh 
come ;  and  unto  him  shall  the  gathering  of  the  people  be."3 

The  sceptre  had  departed :  was  Shiloh  now  there,  as  John 
declared  ?  There  was  also  a  passage  in  Daniel  pointing 
with  peculiar  significancy  to  the  present  time ;  and  every- 


crowds  about  him,  for  they  were  greatly  moved  by  hearing  his  words;" 
and  "they  seemed  to  do  anything  he  should  advise;"  and  the  king 
"thought  it  best,  by  putting  him  to  death,  to  prevent  any  mischief  he 
might  cause,  and  not  bring  himself  into  difficulties  by  sparing  a  man  who 
might  make  him  repent  of  it  when  it  should  be  too  late." 
1  Luke  iii.  18.  2  Hist.  v.  5.  s  Gen.  xlix.  10. 


AT   THE   JORDAN.  29 

where  people  were  now  searching,  with  new  interest,  into 
his  prophetic  words.  "  Seventy  weeks,"  says  that  prophet, 
"  are  determined  upon  thy  people  and  upon  thy  holy  city, 
to  finish  the  transgression,  and  to  make  an  end  of  sins,  and  to 
make  reconciliation  for  iniquity,  and  to  bring  in  everlasting 
righteousness,  and  to  seal  up  the  vision  and  prophecy,  and 
to  anoint  the  Most  Holy.  Know,  therefore,  and  understand 
that  from  the  going  forth  of  the  commandment  to  restore 
and  to  build  Jerusalem  unto  the  Messiah,  the  Prince, 
shall  be  seven  weeks  and  three  score  and  two  weeks."1 
Allowing  years  for  days,  the  seventy  weeks  or  four  hundred 
and  ninety  years  from  the  edict  of  Artaxerxes  for  rebuilding 
the  city  (B.  C.  458)  would  bring  the  time  for  the  appearing 
of  the  "  Messiah  the  Prince"  exactly  to  this  period. 

Thus  all  prophecy  and  all  history  were  in  harmony  with 
John's  annunciations  respecting  the  Messiah  ;  even  foreign 
nations  were  expecting  the  advent  of  the  Jewish  Deliverer. 
How  would  he  appear?  How  spread  his  worldly  con- 
quests ?  How  flash  over  the  earth  the  glory  of  his  reign  ? 
— were  questions  that  had  long  been  discussed  in  the  Jew- 
ish schools ;  all  with  results  tending  to  make  the  Jewish 
mind  earthly  and  selfish.  The  whole  nation  was  in  a  state 
of  intense  expectancy. 

The  Messiah  came. 

But  how  different  he  was  from  what  the  excited  Jewish 
anticipations  had  pictured  of  his  appearing! 

Their  favorite  prophet  had  declared  of  him  780  years  be- 
fore, "When  we  shall  see  him,  there  is  no  beauty  that  we 
should  desire  him.  He  is  despised  and  rejected  of  men;  a 
man  of  sorrows,  and  acquainted  with  grief;  and  we  hid  as  it 
were  our  faces  from  him ;  he  was  despised,  and  we  esteemed 
him  not."2  For  the  purpose  of  our  redemption  God  saw 
fit  that  it  should  be  so;  but,  notwithstanding  that  this  pro- 


1  Dan.  ix.  24,  25.  '  Isaiah  :iii.  2  and  3. 

3  * 


30        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

phecy  was  familiar  to  the  Jews,  still  what  a  chasm  between 
this  actual  appearing  and  that  which  they  expected  the  ap- 
pearing of  the  Messiah  would  be ! 

One  day,  amid  those  crowds  at  the  Jordan,  a  stranger 
from  Galilee  presented  himself  for  baptism  ;  but  John  drew 
back — 

"  I  have  need,"  he  said,  "  to  be  baptized  of  thee,  and 
comest  thou  to  me  ?"  The  answer  was  simply  : 

"  Suffer  it  to  be  so  now :  for  thus  it  becomcth  us  to  ful- 
fill all  righteousness." 

They  descended  to  the  stream,  and  Jesus  received  bap- 
tism of  John. 

They  appear  not  to  have  met  before;1  for  their  previous 
lives  had  been  near  the  opposite  extremes  of  Palestine, — 
one  in  Galilee,  the  other  in  the  desert  region  in  the  south 
of  Palestine ; — but  the  Divine  power,  under  which  John  was 
acting,  had  given  him  admonition  that  the  Messiah,  whom 
he  had  been  preaching,  was  before  him ;  and  the  stern, 
lofty-toned  man  felt  awed  before  this  higher  Presence.  The 
Messiah  was  there ! 

Of  his  personal  appearance  we  have  no  authentic  record  f 
but  never  yet  did  a  great  thought  take  strong  hold  of  any 
human  being  and  not  stamp  itself  for  the  time  upon 
his  face,  and  manifest  itself  in  his  eyes.  Never  yet 
was  any  grand  emotion  in  the  human  heart,  without  im- 
pressing itself  upon  the  features,  and  drawing  there  its  un- 
mistakable lines.  Never  yet  was  any  true,  permanent 
greatness  in  man,  without  having,  for  itself,  a  presence,  felt 
and  known  and  recognized  by  all  as  such.  God  has  not 
made  all  men  great  in  form,  or  fair  to  look  upon ;  but  he 
does  make  grandeur  of  soul  stamp  itself  upon  the  face ;  and 
he  makes  it  heard  in  the  intonations  of  the  voice,  and  felt 


1  John  i.  33. 

2  The   description   attributed   to   Lentulus   is  universally  considered 
to  be  spurious. 


AT  THE   JORDAN.  31 

in  the  manner;  a  something,  often  undefinable,  and  yet 
making  clear  demonstration  of  itself.  Sometimes  these 
things  are  fleeting ;  and  they  pass  with  the  heavenlike  no- 
bility of  soul ; — the  lines  of  care  and  our  lower  Mature 
resuming  their  place :  but  sometimes,  even  in  man,  benevo- 
lence, and  gentleness,  and  love,  and  nobility  and  power  of 
thought,  are  so  habitual  as  to  impress  themselves  perma- 
nently on  his  looks ;  and  we  are  drawn  towards  him  by  an 
attraction  which  our  hearts  cannot,  and  we  do  not  wish  to, 
resist.  And  if  this  is  so  in  man,  earthy,  dark  in  intellect, 
uncertain  in  judgment,  compelled  so  often  to  grieve  over 
sin,  what  must  have  been  Christ  the  sinless,  through  whose 
face  the  Divinity  looked  out  upon  the  universe  which  was 
his,  and  through  whose  eyes  shone  that  love  unutterable 
which  brought  him  to  our  earth,  here  to  die  for  us  ?  What 
a  Being  there  was,  then,  before  John  and  the  multitudes,  at 
Jordan  !  a  face,  where  Divine  greatness,  not  fleeting  but  con- 
stant, had  drawn  the  lines  and  sat  constantly  enthroned ; 
where  gentleness,  and  meekness,  and  conscious  omnipotence 
were  harmonized ;  and  where  every  glance  of  the  eye,  every 
intonation  of  the  voice,  every  lineament  in  the  features, 
while  showing  the  Divine  supremacy  within,  were  those 
also  of  one  who  had  come  in  humility  to  seek  and  to  save 
them  that  are  lost.  Who  can  wonder  then,  that  when,  even 
in  the  violence  at  Gethsemane,  Jesus  turned  and  looked 
upon  his  persecutors,  they  fell  to  the  earth  ?  Who  can  won- 
der that,  in  the  same  night,  a  single  look  upon  Peter  turned 
that  recreant's  heart  into  a  fountain  of  tears  ?  Or,  that  Pi- 
late, drawn  by  that  majesty  of  Presence  in  Christ  during  the 
trial,  sought  with  such  determination  to  let  him  go? 

As  the  Messiah  and  John  ascended  from  the  baptism,  a 
sign  was  given  by  which  the  latter,  at  the  time  he  received 
his  own  Divine  mission,  had  been  informed,1  that  ie  should 


John  i.  33. 

/^A^^Of  TH**4^^ 

tHUVBESITtf 


tH 

\   /* 


32        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

recognize  Him  whom  he  was  to  preach,  and  might  know  that 
the  "  kingdom  of  heaven"  had  now  come.  He  saw  the 
heavens  opened,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  descend  and  light 
like  a  dove  upon  Christ,  while  a  voice  came  down  from  the 
supernal  glory :  "  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am 
well  pleased."1 

The  mission  of  the  Messiah  had  thus  its  heavenly  en- 
dorsement, and  here  its  beginning.  It  began  in  the  waters 
of  the  Jordan  :  it  was  to  be  sealed  in  blood.  It  began  with 
the  opening  glory  of  heaven  poured  down :  it  was  to  end 
with  the  sun  hidden  at  mid-day,  and  a  supernatural  darkness, 
as  of  night,  over  the  earth.  The  heavens  then  opened  once 
again,  to  receive  him  from  mortal  sight. 


CHAPTER  III. 
THE  DESERT. 

AMONG  the  mountains  which,  near  the  lower  end  of  the 
Jordan,  sweep  in  a  semi-circular  curve  westwardly  from 
the  river  and  form  a  space  for  the  great  plain  of  Jericho,  is  one 
midway  along  called  Quarantana,  which  rises  almost  perpen- 
dicularly from  the  edge  of  the  plain  to  a  height  of  twelve 
or  fifteen  hundred  feet.2  Of  Jericho  scarcely  any  vestiges 
can  be  found  :  the  last  solitary  palm  tree  remaining  from  the 
forests  of  palms,  for  which  the  place  was  once  famous,  has 
lately  disappeared :  the  plain,  except  a  spot  occupied  by  a 
few  wretched  dwellings,  is  desolate :  the  mountains  bordering 
it  have  always  been  a  scene  of  desolation,  and  the  whole 
region  is  given  up  to  lawless  bands :  yet,  through  the  long 

1  Matt.  iii.  16,  17.  2  Robinson. 


THE  DESERT.  33 

hours  of  the  night,  a  light  may  be  seen  far  up  among  the 
crags  of  Quarantaua,  showing  that  some  pilgrim  is  doing 
penance  in  these  wild  solitudes.  The  front  of  the  mountain 
is  indeed  honey-combed  with  hermits'  cells ;  for  in  ancient 
times  the  place  was  a  favorite  one  for  anchorites,  and  the 
mountain  takes  its  name  from  a  tradition  that  to  it  the 
Messiah,  after  the  baptism  in  the  Jordan,  was  "  led  up  by 
the  Spirit,"  and  that  he  there  spent  the  forty  days  of  his 
temptations  in  the  wilderness.  It  is  not  probable  that  a 
spot  looking  down  over  a  wide  scene  of  what  was  then 
busy  life — the  great  city  and  its  surroundings — would  have 
been  chosen  for  such  an  occasion :  but  back  of  it,  that  is,  to 
the  westward  and  southward,  is  a  region  harmonizing  with 
all  that  we  can  conceive  of  those  forty  days  of  fasting  and 
of  the  temptations.  There,  a  great  extent  of  country  about 
60  miles  from  north  to  south,  and  \  5  wide,  bordered  on  the 
east  by  the  precincts  of  the  Jordan,  and  the  Dead  Sea  and 
reaching  on  the  west  to  within  a  few  miles  of  Jerusalem 
itself,  is  one  of  singular  barrenness  and  dreariness ;  looking, 
says  the  traveller  Maundrell,  "so  torn  and  disordered,  as  if 
the  earth  had  suffered  some  great  convulsion,  in  which  the 
very  bowels  had  been  turned  outward."  It  is,  indeed,  a 
region  of  utter  barrenness  and  of  constant  gloom.  The 
country  is  all  broken  into  hills  generally  of  steep  ascent; 
and  both  hills  and  ravines  are  bare  alike.  The  surface  is  a 
gray  mouldering  rock,  or  a  gray  earth,  on  which  no  vegeta- 
tion will  thrive ;  and  the  whole,  from  century  to  century, 
has  laid  quite  bare  to  the  baking  sun  and  unfertilizing  rains. 
Travellers  through  the  deserts  of  Arabia  tell  us  that  the 
prevailing  impression  on  their  minds  there  is  of  antiquity, 
and  with  regard  to  that  country,  the  exclamation  is  forced 
from  them,  "  how  old  it  is !"  but  this  region  in  Judea  looks 
as  if  it  had  never  been  young,  but  had  been  a  blasted  and 
an  accursed  place  from  the  beginning.  All  avoid  it  who 
can.  In  the  days  of  our  Saviour,  robbers  haunted  its 


34       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

thoroughfares ;  and,  in  our  time,  the  few  paths  crossing  it 
are  made  by  the  feet  of  marauders;  and  he  who  sees  a 
human  being  moving  on  its  hills,  however  distant,  expects 
violence,  and  prepares  for  defence.  Deep  chasms  intersect 
it  here  and  there,  at  the  sides  of  which  the  rocks  almost 
meet,  hundreds  of  feet  above,  and  shut  out  the  day ;  and  in 
their  faces  are  the  mouths  of  caverns,  such  as  gave  refuge  to 
David  and  his  pursued  band.1  A  recent  traveller  in  notic- 
ing the  more  southern  portion  of  this  region,  says  the 
prospect  before  him  was  "indescribably  stern  and  desolate:" 
and  speaks  of  "the  fantastic  forms  of  the  rocks  on  the 
foreground,  a  medley  of  gray  limestones,  yellowish  gravel, 
and  fragments  of  lava,  here  piled  up  in  perpendicular  cliffs, 
there  laid  one  above  the  other  in  flat  strata,  and  yonder  rent 
asunder  in  frightful  chasms;  between  these,  a  plain  covered 
with  a  number  of  conical  hills,  white,  gray  and  yellow,  all 
the  product  of  subterranean  fire:"2 — this  at  the  close  of 
March,  when  vegetation  in  Judea  is  in  its  highest  perfection. 
Of  the  more  northern  portions,  equally  desolate,  we  shall 
have  a  future  occasion  to  speak  more  in  detail. 

To  this  "Wilderness  of  Judea,"  as  it  was  called,  the 
Messiah,  after  his  baptism,  was  "  led  of  the  Spirit  to  be 
tempted;"  and  there  he  remained  forty  days. 

We  are  now  at  one  of  those  events  in  Christ's  earthly 
ministry,  where  the  supernatural  is  blended  so  greatly  with 
the  natural  that,  with  our  limited  capacities,  we  have  to  be 
content  with  ignorance,  and  to  gaze,  though  wonderingly 
yet  silently,  at  the  little  which  has  been  revealed.  How  can 
we  understand,  or  expect  to  understand,  where  the  spiritual 
and  the  material  come  thus  mingled  in  joint  action ;  and 
where  the  mysteries  of  the  unseen  world,  which  our  intellects 
in  vain  strive  to  penetrate,  and  which  they  could  not  com- 


1  1  Samuel  xxiv. 
2  Van  de  Velde's  "Journey  through  Syria  and  Palestine." 


THE  DESERT.  35 

prehend  if  seen,  are  so  imperfectly  developed  that  we  catch 
but  a  glimpse  here  and  there  as  they  flit  before  our  minds? 
We  must  remember  that  the  times  we  are  now  considering 
were  those  when  the  most  wonderful  event  of  all  ages  was 
having  its  scene  of  action  on  our  earth  ;  when  the  Divinity 
took  our  nature,  and  in  a  union  incomprehensible  to  us, 
Avas  in  great  humility  among  men. — Incomprehensible ;  for 
how  can  we  understand  this,  when  the  union  of  our  own 
souls  and  bodies  is  a  mystery  beyond  our  comprehension, — 
an  every-day  mystery,  and  familiar,  but  yet  never  once 
penetrated  by  human  science?  How  can  we  understand, 
then,  the  Divine  and  human  in  one,  or  hope  in  the  least 
degree  to  understand  ?  We  may  gather  from  the  Inspired 
Word  that  in  those  days,  when  heaven  came  down  to  earth, 
and  the  two  were  blended  as  never  before,  and  never  to  be 
again, — that  then  a  general  agitation  occurred,  and  spirits 
gave  demonstrations  of  presence  and  power,  in  demoniacs 
and  the  possessed,  to  which  the  world  at  other  times  had 
been  a  stranger,  and  which  have  never  been  repeated  since. 
The  Scriptures  tell  us  of  a  time  yet  to  be,  when  the  powers 
of  heaven  shall  be  shaken  ;  Christ  coming  to  judge;  a  time 
far  less  mysterious  than  this  period  when  he  was  on  earth, 
God  manifest,  but  in  humility  for  man's  redemption  to  be 
effected  in  the  cross.  Who  shall  object  in  these  matters? 
Who  dare  gainsay  concerning  things  beyond  our  comprehen- 
sion, when  we  cannot  understand  ourselves?  Men  are 
indeed  but  children — the  oldest  and  wisest  in  the  world,  but 
children — when  put  in  comparison  with  the  supernatural 
world,  where,  with  God,  "a  thousand  years  are  but  as 
yesterday;''  and  where,  among  the  infinites,  our  imaginations 
strive  in  vain  for  a  resting-place  for  observation ;  and  so 
turn  quickly  back  to  earth,  wearied  and  overwhelmed. 

Therefore,  humility  is  now  our  rational  and  our  better 
part;  and,  with  such  a  sense  of  our  condition  we  have 
repeatedly  to  gaze  on  the  scenes  recorded  in  the  Gospels,  not 


36       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

comprehending  them,  and  compelled  to  be  satisfied  with 
present  ignorance.  It  was  a  time,  we  may  believe,  when 
te  the  powers  of  heaven"  and  of  hell  "  were  shaken  ;"  as 
they  never  otherwise  had  been ;  and  our  earth,  the  scene  of 
action,  had  to  witness  unusual  sights. 

Consequently,  when  these  scenes  of  the  temptation  in  the 
wilderness  of  Judea  pass  in  those  strange,  shadowy  forms 
before  us,  half  revealed  in  the  Gospels,  half  hidden, — we 
gaze  in  wonder,  but  we  acquiesce  in  not  understanding  more. 
How  could  we  fully  understand? 

Saint  Paul,  through  the  power  of  inspiration,  tells  us, 
"  In  all  things  it  behooved  Him  to  be  made  like  unto  his 
brethren,  that  he  might  be  a  merciful  and  faithful  high 
priest;"  and  that  "  We  have  not  a  high-priest  which  cannot 
be  touched  with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities;  but  was  in 
all  points  tempted  as  we  are  yet  without  sin  ;'71  and  the 
temptations  in  the  wilderness  appear  to  have  been  suited  to 
the  higher  spiritual  character  of  the  tempted.  There  were 
three  of  them,  applied  to  those  feelings  which  are  the  most 
powerful  in  our  own  nature, — to  ambition,  to  vanity,  and  to 
bodily  want;  each  applied  in  this  case  in  a  concentrated 
form ;  but  each  in  vain.  But  we  cease  to  argue  in  matters 
so  evidently  above  our  reason ;  we  will  wait  patiently,  till 
we  may  ourselves  merge  into  the  supernatural,  and  no  longer 
see  "through  a  glass  darkly,"  but  "shall  know  even  as  we 
are  known." 


1  Hebrews  ii.  17  j  iv.  15. 


THE  DEPUTATION.  37 


CHAPTER  IV. 
AT  THE  JORDAN— THE  DEPUTATION. 

JOHN  was  still  baptizing  at  the  Jordan,  still  littering  his 
call  to  repent,  "  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand ;" 
and  still  the  excitement  concerning  him  was  continuing:  the 
public  wonder  and  curiosity  indeed  were  on  the  increase. 
The  Sanhedrim  at  Jerusalem  was  presently  stirred  up  to 
take  official  action  in  his  case. 

This  body,  awedptov,  assembly,  consisted  of  seventy  per- 
sons, with  the  addition  of  the  high-priest  as  president;  and 
were  from  the  following  classes  of  persons:  1.  Officiating 
high-priest;  2.  Ex-high-priests,  and  heads  of  the  twenty- 
four  classes  of  high-priests,  called,  by  way  of  honor,  chief- 
priests  ;  3.  Such  of  the  elders,  i.  e.,  princes  of  the  tribes, 
heads  of  family  associations,  as  were  elected  to  this  place, 
or  put  there  by  a  nomination  from  the  ruling  executive 
authority;  and  4.  Appointments  in  a  similar  way  from  the 
scribes  and  learned  men.1  "It  was  required  of  these  men 
that  they  should  be  religious,  and  learned  in  the  arts  and 
language;  that  they  should  have  some  skill  in  physic,  arith- 
metic, astronomy  and  astrology  ;  also  to  know  what  belonged 
to  magic,  sorcery  and  idolatry,  so  as  to  know  how  to  judge 
them.  They  were  to  be  without  maim  or  blemish  of  body; 
men  of  years  but  not  extremely  old  ;  and  to  be  fathers  of 
families,  that  they  might  be  acquainted  with  tenderness  and 
compassion.  Their  times  for  sitting  were  from  the  end  of 
the  morning  service  to  the  beginning  of  the  evening  service, 
but  might  be  prolonged  till  the  night,  if  necessary  for  con- 

1  Jahn's  Archaeology. 


38        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

eluding  any  business  commenced  during  the  day ;  but  no 
new  business  could  be  undertaken  in  the  night.  Their  place 
of  assembling  was  in  a  room  by  the  courts  of  the  Temple, 
and  was  so  arranged  that  a  portion  of  it  projected  into  the 
priests'  court,  in  order  that  it  might  partake  of  the  sanctity 
of  the  place ;  and  part  was  outside  of  it,  so  that  the  mem- 
bers could  sit  in  the  council,  which  no  one  could  do  in  the 
court  of  the  priests,  except  a  king."1  The  first  mention 
of  the  Sanhedrim  is  about  the  year  B.  C.  69 ;  its  origin  is 
supposed  to  have  been  in  the  Council  of  70  Elders  appointed 
by  Moses  at  Sinai,  (Numbers  xi.  16-24.)  It  had  the  power 
to  judge  all  persons  and  all  matters  not  left  to  inferior  courts, 
a  whole  tribe,  a  prophet,  the  high-priest,  and  even  the  king 
himself  if  there  were  occasion.2 

In  every  city  there  was  a  smaller  tribunal  of  the  judges 
and  Levites  for  slighter  cases:  also  a  tribunal  of  23  judges 
(synagogue  tribunals,  John  xvi.  2,)  which  tried  questions  of 
a  religious  nature. 

The  Sanhedrim  felt  now,  that  it  had  become  of  the  high- 
est consequence  to  settle  the  important  questions  concerning 
John,  which  were  agitating  the  public  mind.  Although 
the  ascetic  had  not  put  himself  forward  as  a  leader,  and  good 
order  had  been  maintained  at  the  Jordan,  yet  the  people 
were  in  an  inflammable  condition,  and  tumults  might  arise, 
in  which  case  the  Roman  power  would  interfere,  with  ven- 
geance upon  the  whole  nation.  A  wonderful  prophet,  too, 
this  seemed  to  be,  and  the  excitement  was  the  greater  from 
the  lapse  of  centuries  since  a  prophet  had  appeared.  His 
annunciation  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  as  at  hand  was 
thrilling  to  every  expectant  heart:  he  was  introducing  a 
great  revolution  by  initiating  the  crowds  flocking  to  him, 
into  a  new  religion ;  and  this  without  authority  given,  or 
asked  of  the  rulers.  He  had  offended  also  the  two  leading 


Lightfoot  on  the  Temple.  2  Jalin's  Archaeology. 


THE  DEPUTATION.  39 

sects  in  Judea,  by  his  invective  hurled  upon  them  as  a  brood 
of  vipers,  yet  the  people  were  quiescent,  though  admiring 
his  boldness.  The  impression  was  growing,  everywhere, 
that  he  was  something  beyond  a  mortal  like  themselves ; — 
that  he  was  Elias  (Elijah),  or  Jeremiah,  risen  from  the  dead ; 
and,  among  some — misinterpreting  his  declarations  to  the 
contrary, — that  he  was  the  Messiah  himself.  The  Pharisees 
believed  that  the  power  of  baptizing  Jews,  and  thereby 
forming  a  new  religion,  was  to  be  confined  to  the  Messiah 
and  his  precursors,  the  prophets,  who  they  supposed  would 
return  to  life  for  this  purpose ;  and  although  it  was  true 
that  John's  ancestry  did  not  fully  agree  with  the  require- 
ments of  their  ancient  prophets  respecting  the  Christ,  yet 
his  mother  was  of  the  lineage  of  David ;  and  although  in 
addition  his  place  of  birth  had  not  been  at  Bethlehem,  still 
it  was  not  fully  determined  among  the  doctors  that  the  Mes- 
siah must  be  born  there.1  So  there  was  room  for  discussion 
among  the  Sanhedrim,  even  on  the  question  whether  John 
might  not  be  the  Messiah  himself. 

Therefore,  this  national  council,  taking  Pharisees,  who 
were  also  priests  and  Levites,2  for  their  deputation,  sent 
them  to  John.3  The  Jewish  rulers  were  almost  exclusively 


1  See  Bloomfield  in  loco.  a  John  i.  19 ;  i.  24. 

3  John  i.  1 9.  It  is  well  to  remark  here  on  a  circumstance  in  St.  John's 
Gospel,  of  which  I  have  seen  no  notice  among  critics,  except  Alford,  al- 
though it  is  an  important  one.  It  is  the  distinction  which  this  Evangel- 
ist appears  to  make  between  "  the  Jews"  and  "the  people."  By  the 
former  he  seems  to  mean  the  leaders;  by  the  latter,  the  masses.  There  is 
a  striking  example  of  this  in  ch.  vii.  v.  13,  when  the  people  (v.  12)  were 
secretly  querying  about  Christ,  "  but  no  man  spake  openly  of  him  for 
fear  of  the  Jews"  The  same  distinction  seems  to  be  kept  up  uniformly 
in  John,  except  where  the  term  Jew  is  used  as  a  distinctive  national 
one. 

We  have  something  like  it  when  we  use  the  words,  "  the  English,"  and 
the  "English  people,"  meaning  by  the  former  a  kind  of  abstraction  of 
the  rulers,  or  the  sentiment  seen  in  their  government,  and  by  the  latter, 
the  masses. 


40        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

Pharisees,  or  persons  professing  to  be  such ;  and  that  sect 
was  more  particularly  interested  in  the  proceedings  at  the 
Jordan :  for  their  power  lay  in  their  influence  over  the 
masses  of  the  people,  the  only  instrument  they  could  oppose 
to  their  rivals,  the  smaller  but  wealthier  sect  of  the  Saddu- 
cees ;  and  the  masses  were  drawn  powerfully  to  this  prophet 
at  the  Jordan. 

The  origin  of  both  these  leading  sects  is  unknown,  and 
we  have  no  distinct  traces  of  them  previous  to  the  Ptolemies, 
(B.  C.  332),  about  which  time  the  oral  or  traditional  law 
also  comes  before  our  notice.  The  Pharisees  were  the  advo- 
cates and  conservators  of  this ;  the  Sadducees  opposed  it, 
adhering  only  to  the  written  law.  The  Pharisees  believed 
"  that  souls  have  an  immortal  vigor  in  them,  and  that  un- 
der the  earth  there  will  be  rewards  and  punishments,  accord- 
ingly as  they  have  lived  virtuously  or  viciously,  in  this 
life;  and  the  latter  are  to  be  detained  in  an  everlasting 
prison,  but  that  the  former  shall  have  the  power  to  revive 
and  live  again."1  The  Sadducees  asserted  "  that  souls  die 
with  the  bodies :"  and  in  this  opposition  of  belief  on  vital 
points,  we  have  at  once  the  groundwork  of  endless  disputes 
between  these  sects.  The  Sadducees,  however,  were  content 
to  keep  their  cold  philosophy  to  themselves,  and  seldom  at- 
tempted to  make  proselytes ;  but  they  were  the  wealthy  men, 
and  prided  themselves  on  their  superior  wisdom  and  higher 
philosophy;  to  which  the  Pharisees  opposed  an  affected 
sanctimoniousness,  which  drew  to  them  the  multitudes,  over 
whom  they  had  great  influence,  and  by  whom  they  more 
than  counterbalanced  the  power  in  wealth  belonging  to  their 
opponents.  So  domineering,  indeed,  was  their  influence  in 
the  nation  in  consequence  of  their  successful  zeal  in  making 
and  keeping  proselytes  among  the  masses,  that  when  a  Sad- 
ducee  had  to  take  office,  (which  that  sect  did  unwillingly), 


Jahn's  Archaeology. 


THE  DEPUTATION.  41 

he  was  often  compelled,  for  his  own  comfort,  to  assume  the 
character  and  pretend  to  the  belief  of  the  Pharisees.  The 
latter  had  in  the  unwritten  law,  as  we  shall  see  by-and-by, 
an  immense  power,  capable  of  bearing  down  any  adversary 
who  might  oppose  them,  especially  among  the  ignorant. 
With  all  this  courting  of  popular  favor,  they  however, 
thoroughly  despised  the  populace,  and  called  them  in  their 
writings  "  worms/'  "  people  of  the  earth ;"  and  with  other 
opprobrious  epithets,  refused  heaven  to  them,  declaring  that 
"  he  who  has  not  studied  is  never  pious."1  They  affected  a 
great  outward  show  of  religion,  ostentatiously  standing  while 
at  prayer,  (standing  was  the  usual  Jewish  posture  in  prayer), 
at  the  corners  of  the  streets,  so  as  to  be  seen  in  two  direc- 
tions ;  and  sometimes  commencing  a  prayer  at  one  place  and 
going  to  finish  it  at  another.  They  made  broad  their  phy- 
lacteries (written  passages  of  Scripture,  folded  up  and  bound 
to  the  forehead  and  arm),  and  in  their  dress  had  an  osten- 
tation of  a  similar  kind.  They  were  so  fearful  of  contami- 
nation that  they  would  not  eat  with  their  own  people,  if 
holding  the  unpopular  office  of  tax-gatherers;  and  were  dis- 
posed to  spurn  from  their  presence  all  who  were  not  of  their 
own  sect  ;2  nor  would  they  drink  until  the  water  had  been 
strained,  lest  they  might  inadvertently  swallow  some  unclean 
animalcules.  With  all  this,  they  enjoined  no  internal  right- 
eousness, substituting  externals  for  it:  forms  took  the  place 
of  holiness :  an  omission  to  wash  the  hands  before  meat  was 
considered  worthy  of  death,  no  matter  what  iniquity  might 
be  in  the  heart ;  and  they  had  brought  the  Jewish  people 
into  disrepute  abroad  as  a  nation  of  perjurers,3  by  teaching 
that  an  oath  by  the  altar,  temple,  heaven,  earth,  sacrifices, 
etc.,  etc.,  was  of  small  if  any  obligation,  unless  in  it  the 
name  of  God  had  been  used.  They  were  divided  into  sev- 
eral subordinate  sects;  and  the  Jewish  official  books,  the 


1  Lightfoot.       *  Jahn's  Archaeology.      s  Martial's  Epigrams,  xi.  95. 

4* 


42        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

Talmuds,  mention  several  distinct  classes,  under  characters 
which  show  them  to  have  been  deeply  immersed  in  the 
idlest  and  most  ridiculous  superstitions.  Among  them  were 
the  Truncated  Pharisee,  who,  that  he  might  appear  in  pro- 
found meditation,  as  if  destitute  of  feet,  scarcely  lifted  them 
from  the  ground ;  the  Mortar  Pharisee,  who,  that  his  medi- 
tations might  not  be  disturbed,  wore  a  deep  cap  in  the  shape 
of  a  mortar,  that  would  only  permit  him  to  look  on  the 
ground  at  his  feet;  and  the  Striking  Pharisee,  who  shutting 
his  eyes  as  he  walked  to  avoid  the  sight  of  women,  often 
struck  his  head  against  the  wall.1 

Such  were  the  men  who  came  now,  in  the  authority  of 
office,  to  settle  the  questions  which  had  been  discussed  for 
weeks  with  deepest  earnestness  in  Jerusalem  and  throughout 
all  Judea  and  the  regions  beyond  ; — questions  of  momentous 
interest,  but  to  which  no  one  could  yet  give  a  satisfactory 
reply.  It  was  known  that  John  had  made  disclaimers  of 
any  high  position  ;  but  still  the  public  mind  was  agitated ; 
for  with  these  disclaimers,  he  was  yet  performing  a  rite  be- 
longing only  to  the  old  prophets  risen  again,  or  to  the  Mes- 
siah :  so,  at  least,  they  always  believed. 

The  crowds  saw  the  officials  approaching,  and  could  easily 
surmise  who  they  were,  and  why  they  came.  All  knew  that 
it  was  among  the  duties  of  the  Sanhedrim  to  inquire  offi- 
cially into  the  pretensions  of  any  one  setting  himself  up  as  a 
prophet;  and  here  were  the  inquisitors  come  now  to  do  that 
work.  The  important  queries  which  had  so  agitated  the 
multitudes  there,  but  which  they  had  shrunk  from  putting 
to  the  Baptist  would,  they  thought  perhaps,  be  answered 
at  last. 

The  crowds  gave  way.  Probably,  in  those  haughty  looks 
of  the  Pharisees  they  could  read  their  own  condemnation  for 
being  captivated  by  one  not  officially  recognized,  and  not  a 


Bloomfield. 


THE  DEPUTATION.  43 

Rabbi ;  their  old  reverence  for  priest  and  Levite,  and  addi- 
tionally for  Pharisees,  conservators  of  the  unwritten  law  with 
its  mysterious,  undefined  power,  crept  through  their  hearts 
again,  as  they  saw  these  men  approach, — perhaps  there  to 
overwhelm  all  the  Baptist's  claims,  and  to  hurl  on  his  prose- 
lytes objurgations  or  even  excommunications  for  having  sub- 
mitted to  the  new  rite.  The  deputation  came  in  a  man- 
ner to  make  impression  of  their  authority,  and  to  procure 
full  and  ready  answers  to  their  questions ;  bearing  the  phy- 
lacteries upon  their  brows  and  arms,  and  the  wide  fringes  to 
their  robes,  as  became  Pharisees  and  men  of  rank.  We  must 
give  attention  to  them ;  and  we  notice  first  the  phylacteries, 
an  awkward  appendage,  but  which  habit  made  less  so  to 
them.  To  construct  a  phylactery  four  pieces  of  parchment 
were  taken,  on  which,  with  ink  specially  prepared  for  this 
purpose,  were  written  four  passages  from  the  law,  Ex.  xiii. 
3-10;  Ex.  xiii.  11-16;  Deut.  vi.  4-9;  Deut.  xi.  13-21. 
These  four  pieces  were  folded  together  in  a  square  form,  and 
inserted  in  a  leather  case,  from  which  proceeded  thongs  of 
the  same  material.  Such  a  case  was  laid  on  the  forehead 
between  the  eye-brows ;  and  the  thongs,  being  passed  behind 
the  head,  were  tied  there  in  a  particular  manner,  and  then 
carne  round  so  as  to  fall  over  the  chest.  Another  was  laid  on 
the  inside  of  the  left  arm,  at  the  elbow,  and  fastened  there 
by  thongs,  one  of  which  was  wound  spirally  along  the  arm, 
and  so,  crossing  the  palm  of  the  hand,  was  fastened  to  the 
fingers.  This  usage  was  founded  on  Ex.  xiii.  9. 

The  name  phylactery  is  from  the  Greek,  and  signifies 
observatory,  because  it  put  them  in  mind  of  the  law.  In 
process  of  time  the  phylacteries  came  to  be  considered  as  a 
protection  against  evil  spirits,  or  charms,  and  the  Talmud 
says,  "  It  is  necessary  that  the  phylacteries  should  be  repeated 
at  home  at  nights  to  drive  away  devils."1  It  is  not  certain 


Lightfoot. 


44        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

PHYLACTERIES. 


Far  the  head. 


For  tJie  arm. 


whether  all  the  Jewish  people  wore  them,  or  only  those  who 
were  called  scholars,  and  who  pretended  to  more  knowledge 
and  devotion  and  study  than  the  common  people ;!  but  all, 
both  learned  and  unlearned,  were  bound  alike  to  say  over 
the  phylactery  sentences  morning  and  evening,  every  day, 
no  matter  where  they  were.  The  time  for  this  was  at  earli- 
est dawn,  and  in  the  evenings  some  time  before  the  first 
watch.2  Our  Saviour  condemns  the  width  of  the  phylacte- 
ries, made  for  ostentation  and  vanity.  The  modern  Jews, 
it  is  said,  wear  them  at  morning  and  evening  prayers. 

This  deputation  approached,  not  over-confident  of  a  favor- 
able reception,  knowing  as  they  did  the  Baptist's  address  to 
their  Pharisee  brethren  on  the  former  occasion :  and  now 
there  was  a  striking  scene ; — that  gaunt,  sunburnt  man,  in 
his  coarse  dress  of  camel's  hair  bound  by  a  leathern  girdle; 
his  unabashed  manner  before  the  officers,  and  his  fiery  eyes 
seeming  to  pierce  them  through  ; — their  own  stateliness  and 
effort  at  ease  and  assurance,  while  their  pretension  to  sanc- 
tity and  the  author itativen ess  of  office  were  impressing  the 


Lightfoot.  2  Ib. 


THE  DEPUTATION.  45 

crowd; — the  multitudes  glancing  from  the  new,  admired 
favorite  to  their  old,  feared  masters ;  and  back  again  to  the 
fearless  John. 

"  Who  art  thou  ?"  the  rulers  asked. 

The  words  were  authoritative  and  abrupt.  He  answered, 
not  to  their  question,  but  to  what  he  knew  was  in  every  per- 
son's mind. 

"  I  am  not  the  Christ," 

"  What  then  ?  art  thou  Elias  ?" 

"  I  am  not." 

"Art  thou  that  prophet?"1 

"No." 

"  Who  art  thou  ? — that  we  may  give  an  answer  to  them 
that  sent  us.  What  sayest  thou  of  thyself?" 

"  I  am  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  Make 
straight  the  way  of  the  Lord,  as  said  the  prophet  Esaias :" 
(the  reply  having  allusion  to  a  custom  prevailing  in  those 
eastern  countries,  when  a  monarch  was  about  to  make  a  jour- 
ney ;  at  which  times  men  were  sent  before  to  remove  ob- 
structions and  to  make  level  the  roads). 

"  Why  baptizest  thou  then,  if  thou  be  not  that  Christ, 
nor  Elias,  neither  that  prophet?" 

"I  baptize  with  water:  but  there  staudeth  one  among 
you,  whom  ye  know  not ;  he  it  is,  who  coming  after  me  is 
preferred  before  me,  whose  shoe's  latchet  I  am  not  worthy 
to  unloose." 

Among  them !!  And  all  interest  in  the  officials  and  in 
John  himself  must  have  been  lost,  as  men  started  and  turned 
inquiring  glances  among  the  crowd,  making  scrutiny  for 
him  about  whom  the  astounding  announcement  had  been 
made.  No  one  could  doubt  that  John  meant  by  this,  TJie 
Christ,  the  great  Messiah  that  had  been  promised  to  the 


1  It  is  supposed  that  they  referred  to  Jeremiah.     (See  Dout.  xviii.  15-19 
and  Matt.  xvi.  14.) 


46        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

world.  That  was  their  answer,  and  such  the  intelligence 
that  the  emissaries  were  to  carry  back  to  Jerusalem,  and  to 
the  Sanhedrim. 

Curiosity  was  at  its  utmost  tension  now:  and  the  next 
day,  as  the  crowds  were  watching  John  with  a  closeness  of 
observation  which  they  had  never  exercised  before,  they 
heard  from  him  a  sudden  announcement — 

"  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin 
of  the  world  I" 

The  multitudes  turned  quickly ; — 

Was  that  the  Christ ! 

He  came  with  no  pomp,  but  quietly  among  them :  no 
earthly  parade  of  power,  no  attendance ;  not  even  with  scho- 
lastic state,  and  disciples  following  him  :  but  alone,  in  sim- 
plicity of  dress  and  simplicity  of  manner. — His  kingdom 
was  not  of  this  world. 

But  the  multitudes  might  have  noticed  the  wonderful 
dignity  and  majesty  on  that  brow ;  the  quiet  composure  of 
manner,  where  conscious  omnipotence  calmly  rested;  the 
winningness  of  features,  where  unbounded  love  drew  the 
lines,  and  fully  impressed  itself;  and  when  he  spake,  the 
modulations  of  his  voice,  where  gentleness  and  benevolence 
ruled,  although  at  times  that  voice  could  take  the  impres- 
sive tones  of  command. 

John  described  to  the  earnest  listeners  how  the  demonstra- 
tion of  the  Messiahship  had  been  made  to  himself,  including 
the  announcement  from  heaven,  "  The  same  is  he  which  bap- 
tizeth  with  the  Holy  Ghost."  He  ended  with  proclaiming 
to  the  gazing,  earnest,  wondering  multitude,  thrilled  with  so 
many  hopes,  "  And  I  saw  and  bare  record,  that  THIS  is  THE 
SON  OF  GOD." 


CONDITION  OF  PALESTINE.  47 


CHAPTER   V. 
CONDITION  OF  PALESTINE. 

THE  Messiah  had  come :  but  before  following  him  in  his 
wonderful  ministry,  we  must  endeavor  to  familiarize  our- 
selves with  the  country  where  this  ministry  was  to  be  exer- 
cised, and  the  people  who  were  to  be  its  immediate  recipients. 
The  reader  will  excuse  interruptions,  for  such  purposes,  in 
the  narrative  portions  of  this  book.  They  will  be  as  brief 
as  possible :  but  without  them  we  cannot  understand  the 
narratives  themselves. 

The  two  ranges  of  mountains,  Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon, 
keep  parallel  with  each  other  and  with  the  eastern  coast  of 
the  Mediterranean,  for  a  distance  of  150  miles,  when  finally, 
Anti-Lebanon  shoots  up  into  the  majestic  Hermon,  rising  to 
93761  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  its  summit  covered 
nearly  all  the  year  with  snow.  The  region  having  for 
its  northern  boundary  the  southern  extremities  of  these 
ranges  (lat.  33°  30'  K),  and  on  its  south,  the  border  of  the 
Arabian  Desert  (31°  10');  with  the  Jordan  and  its  line  of 
lakes  on  the  east,  and  the  Mediterranean  on  the  west,  is  in 
modern  times  usually  designated  as  Palestine;  and  such  in 
this  book  will  be  the  use  of  the  word.  It  forms  an  extent 
of  170  statute  miles  from  north  to  south,  by  a  mean  width 
of  about  50  miles :  and  is  generally  a  hilly  country,  with 
large  plains  interspersed  however, — among  which  that  of 
Esdraelon  (lat.  32°  40')  is  of  great  dimensions ;  while,  just 
south-west  of  this  commences  the  plain  of  Sharon,  which 
thence  onward  southwardly,  forms  a  wide  and  fertile  border 


Survey  by  Majors  Scott  and  Pope. 


48        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

along  the  Mediterranean.  The  region  of  abrupt  hills  be- 
tween this  plain  and  Jerusalem  forms  what  was  called  "  The 
Hill  country  of  Judea  :"  the  utterly  barren  and  blasted  coun- 
try east  of  the  latter,  extending  to  the  Dead  Sea,  has  been 
already  described.  A  cross  section,  from  west  to  east  in  the 
latitude  of  Jerusalem,  would  give:  1st,  The  plain  of  Sharon, 
17  miles  wide;  2d,  The  Hill  country,  20  miles;  and  3d, 
The  wilderness,  15  in  width;  and  then,  the  great  depression 
of  the  valley  of  the  Jordan.1  Jerusalem  is  about  2610  above, 
and  the  Dead  Sea  1312  below  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean. 
If  leaving  Palestine  we  continue  across  the  river  eastwardly 
at  this  latitude,  we  come  immediately  to  the  very  lofty  wall- 
like  range  of  Nebo  beyond  which  is  a  hilly  pastoral  region, 
soon  succeeded  by  immense  wastes  of  sand. 

Profile,  Section  of  Palestine  E.  and  W.  from  the  mountains  of  Moab  to  the 
Mediterranean  in  the  latitude  of  Jerusalem. 

The  horizontal  distances  are  on  a  scale  of  20  miles  to  an  inch.  The  heights 
and  depressions  on  a  scale  of  4000  feet  to  an  inch.  In  such  a  profile  the 
same  scale  for  heights  and  distances  cannot  be  preserved.  The  horizontal 
line  shows  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean. 


II 


Plain  of 

Sharon, 
17  miles. 


Hill  country, 
20  miles. 


Jerusalf 
2610  fe 


Wilderness  of 

Judea, 
15  miles. 


Dead  Sea. 
Depression  1312 
feet.    Its  depth 

1300  feet. 


1  These  measurements  are  from  Van  de  Ve*lde's  trigonometrical  sur- 
veys in  Syria  and  Palestine.  Capt.  Lynch  gives  2610  feet  for  the  eleva- 
tion of  Jerusalem :  the  aneroid  2749. 


CONDITION  OF  PALESTINE. 


49 


Profile,  Station  of  Palestine  N.  and  S.,  from  the  Dead  Sea  towards  Mount 
Herman,  along  the  line  of  the  Jordan. 

The  horizontal  distances  are  on  a  scale  of  35  miles  to  an  inch:  the  eleva- 
tions 15,000  feet  to  an  inch.  The  line  marked  a  a  a  shows  the  level  of  the 
Mediterranean. 


Hebron. 


Dead  Sea 


and 


Jordan 


to        the 


Lake  of 
Galilee, 


Palestine  was  thus  a  country  of  small  extent,  and  singu- 
larly situated ;  quite  central  to  what  was  the  civilized  world 
in  those  ancient  times,  and  therefore  well  adapted  to  be  a 
radiating  point  of  divine  knowledge;  and  yet,  by  these 
northern  mountains,  by  the  Arabian  desert,  by  the  western 
sea,  and  by  the  sand  on  the  east,  almost  isolated,  and  little 
open  to  corrupting  influences  from  heathen  neighbors.  It 
had  no  safe  harbor  on  its  whole  extent  of  coast,  until  Herod 
the  Greatj  at  immense  cost,  formed  one  midway  along ;  build- 
ing there  also,  his  political  capital,  Csesarea,  named  after  his 
patron,  Augustus  Caesar.  This  latter  was  settled  immediately 
by  a  motley  population  of  Syrians  and  Greeks  chiefly,  as  well 
as  Jews :  and  from  this  mixture  sprang  finally  the  troubles 
which  eventuated  in  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  itself.1 

At  the  time  of  which  we  are  now  writing,  Palestine  was 
divided  into  three  nearly  equal  portions  :  the  northern  called 
Galilee ;  the  central,  Samaria ;  and  the  southern,  Judea ;  each 
with  its  distinctive  and  peculiar  people,  although  those  of 
Galilee  and  Judea  went  under  the  general  appellation  of  Jews. 
A  full  understanding  of  the  New  Testament  history  requires 
that  we  should  take  some  notice  of  the  history  of  each. 


i  See  Jos.  Antiq.  xx.  8,  §  9. 


50       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

When  Canaan  was  first  parceled  out  among  the  twelve 
tribes,  the  large  tribe  of  Judah  had  assigned  to  it  the  chief 
portion  of  what  afterwards  became  Judea :  while  Ephraim 
had  most  of  what  was  subsequently  Samaria,  the  two  being 
separated  by  the  small  tribe  of  Benjamin  wedged  between  then 
at  the  east,  and  by  the  equally  diminutive  region  of  Dan  at 
the  west.  Benjamin  however,  though  small,  was  composed 
of  a  bold  and  energetic  set  of  people:  it  gave  Saul  as  the 
first  king  of  Israel ;  and  afterwards  Paul,  the  greatest  of  the 
Christian  leaders  and  among  the  earliest  martyrs  for  Christ. 

Judah  and  Ephraim,  from  their  superior  size  and  their 
position,  soon  took  the  lead  among  the  tribes,  and  also  be- 
came jealous  of  each  other:1  and  finally  (B.  C.  975),  their 
rivalship  culminated  in  a  separation  of  the  tribes ;  Benjamin 
alone  adhering  to  Judah,  while  all  the  others  went  off  and 
became  a  kingdom  by  themselves,  Ephraim  in  this  taking 
the  lead.  Its  main  city,  Shechem,  in  the  valley  of  Samaria 
unsurpassed  in  fertility  and  loveliness,  became  the  capital 
of  its  new  king.  Among  these  people  a  semi-idolatrous 
religion  soon  took  the  place  of  the  old  Mosaic  faith.  Two 
hundred  and  fifty-four  years  after  this  (B.  C.  721)  the  ten 
tribes  were  carried  into  captivity  by  Shalmanezer*  king  of 
Assyria;  and  their  existence  became  eventually  blotted  out 
from  history.  The  exceedingly  fertile  plain  of  Ephraim  and 
its  borders  on  the  north,  being  rapidly  covered  with  jungle, 
was  becoming  overrun  with  wild-beasts,  when  Shalmanezer 
sent  colonists  from  Babylonia  and  other  parts  of  his  eastern 
dominions  to  occupy  it,  with  whom  a  few  of  the  former  in- 
habitants who  had  been  left  behind,  united :  and  thus  was 
formed  the  distinct  and  very  peculiar  race  of  the  Samaritans, 
retaining  in  part  their  eastern  heathenism,  and  partly  im- 
bued with  the  questionable  religion  of  the  ten  tribes. 

One  hundred  and  thirty-three  years  after  the  captivity  of  the 


1  See  aiso  Isaiah  xi.  13. 


CONDITION  OF  PALESTINE.  51 

ten  tribes  (B.  C.  588)  Judah  and  Benjamin  were  also  led 
captive  to  the  east,  Jerusalem  having  been  taken  by  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, and  their  temple  destroyed.  Chaldea,  now  the 
ruling  power  in  the  east,  had  become  the  possessor  of  all 
Palestine.  But  this  captivity  did  not  long  continue;  for 
Cyrus,  the  Persian,  having  taken  Babylon,  (B.  C.  538)  gave 
these  two  tribes  permission  to  return  to  Palestine  and  to  re- 
build their  temple,  the  sacred  vessels  of  which  he  also  re- 
stored. Some  of  the  Jews  remained  in  Babylon,  while  the 
others  hastened  back  to  their  country :  but  during  this  time 
of  their  absence  changes  of  importance  among  themselves 
had  occurred.  Their  original  language  had  ceased  to  be  a 
spoken  one. 

The  Hebrew  had  for  a  long  time  been  declining  in  pu- 
rity. The  period  about  the  time  of  Moses  is  called  by 
critics  its  golden  age ;  that  between  David  and  Hezekiah, 
its  silver  age.  From  Hezekiah  to  the  captivity  it  deterior- 
ated so  much  by  the  further  introduction  of  foreign  terms, 
that  its  iron  age  is  placed  in  that  period ;  and  during  the 
captivity  it  ceased  to  be  a  spoken  language  at  all.1  Not  that 
the  transition  had  been  very  great.  The  dialects  spoken  all 
over  the  East  had  a  general  similitude,  so  great  that  the 
designation  used  by  the  Hebrews  for  very  remote  nations  was 
that  these  did  not  understand  their  language.2  But  still  the 
change,  during  this  stay  in  Babylon,  was  such  that,  gene- 
rally, they  could  not  any  longer  understand  the  Hebrew 
Scriptures  when  read  in  their  religious  assemblies;  and  al- 
though the  original  was  still  used  in  public  worship,  properly 
qualified  persons  had  to  be  employed  to  give  immediately  a 
translation  into  the  vernacular.3  The  new  dialect  which  the 
people  brought  home  with  them  was  the  Aramaic — some- 
times called  Syro-Chaldaic — and  was  the  language  of  Pales- 
tine in  our  Saviour's  time. 


1  Jahn's  Introduction  to  the  Old  Testament,  \  69. 

2  Deut.  xxviii.  49,  and  Jer.  v.  15.        3  See  Nehemiah  viii.  8. 


52        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

But  there  were  differences  also  in  this  dialect.  The  places 
of  captivity  had  stretched  along  the  Euphrates,  where  the 
Chaldee  and  Syriac  dialects  were  in  use.  On  their  return, 
those  using  the  former  settled  in  Judea,  the  others  in  Gali- 
lee j1  and  hence  existed  a  difference  of  speech,  by  which  a 
Galilean  was  speedily  recognized  as  such  by  the  dwellers 
further  south. 

The  Jews  had  permission  from  Cyrus  to  rebuild  also  the 
wall  around  their  city ;  and  they  came  back  with  hearts  full 
of  zeal  and  of  joy  at  the  royal  favor,  in  both  of  which  the 
Samaritans  would  have  gladly  shared.  But  these  people 
were  repelled  as  a  half-heathenish  race;  and  immediately  a 
settled  feud  began,  which  has  continued  down  to  the  present 
time.  The  Samaritans  endeavored  to  excite  jealousies  in  the 
Persian  monarch  respecting  the  repairs  in  the  city  walls,  and 
for  some  time  with  success ;  but  they  finally  ceased  from  such 
opposition,  and  established  rival  services,  building  also  a 
rival  temple  on  the  mount  Gerizim,  which  rises  immediately 
above  their  capital  city,  Shechem,  and  which,  with  its  oppo- 
site mountain,  Ebal,  had  been  the  scene  of  a  most  singular 
event  in  the  ancient  times  of  Israel.  There,  after  Canaan 
had  been  conquered,  had  been  gathered  the  twelve  tribes, 
one-half  placed  on  Gerizim  to  bless,  and  half  on  Ebal  to 
curse ; — indeed,  what  region  is  there  in  all  the  country  of 
Palestine  that  has  not  witnessed  strange  and  wonderful 
events?  To  us,  also,  there  is  a  standing  miracle  in  the  ful- 
fillment of  the  words  of  Moses  when,  after  commanding  the 
full  assemblage  to  take  place  on  Ebal  and  Gerizim,  he  added 
that  if  they  and  their  posterity  would  not  observe  God's 
commandment  they  should  become  "an  astonishment,  a 
proverb,  and  a  by-word  among  all  nations,"  whither  the 
Lord  should  lead  them.2  The  Maccabean,  Hyrcanus,  de- 
stroyed this  temple  (B.  C.  108),  and  annexed  the  whole 


1  Jakn's  Introduction.         2  See  Deut.  xi.  29;  xxvii.  12-26;  xxviii. 


CONDITION  OF  PALESTINE.  53 

{Samaritan  country  to  the  Jewish  nation ;  and  the  bitterness 
from  subjugation  was  then  added  to  the  former  hatred  and 
jealousies.  The  Samaritans,  while  receiving  the  Pentateuch, 
rejected  all  the  other  Jewish  Scriptures ;  and  were,  there- 
fore, still  considered  by  the  Jews  as  only  a  more  dangerous 
set  of  heathen.  What  a  Samaritan  ate  as  food  became,  from 
that  fact,  as  swine's  flesh  in  the  eyes  of  a  Jew ;  no  Samari- 
tan might  be  made  a  proselyte ;  no  one  of  them  could  by 
any  possibility,  in  Jewish  estimation,  attain  to  everlasting 
life. 

This  was  the  country  lying  between  the  two  Jewish  dis- 
tricts of  Galilee  and  Judea,  and  which  had  to  be  traversed 
in  the  frequent  journeys  between  the  two,  unless  a  large 
detour  was  made  across  the  Jordan  and  along  its  eastern 
banks. 

The  two  tribes  of  Judah  and  Benjamin,  after  their  re- 
turn from  captivity,  still  formed  a  part  of  the  Persian 
kingdom,  and  were  heavily  taxed  for  its  support.  Their 
temple  had  been  rebuilt,  (commenced  B.  C.  535),  but  Jeru- 
salem remained  without  walls,  until  the  increase  of  the 
Greek  power  made  it  necessary  to  oppose  obstacles  to  the  ex- 
tension of  that  nation.  Then  Nehemiah  was  empowered  by 
the  Persian  government  to  fortify  the  city ;  but  he  had  to 
do  it  by  stealth,  and  at  night,  as  the  jealousies  of  the  neigh- 
boring Rtates,  particularly  Samaria,  were  ever  throwing  ob- 
stacles in  the  way.  The  Persian  nation  finally  succumbed 
before  Alexander,  and  the  Jews  passed  quietly  into  the 
power  of  that  universal  conqueror  (B.  C.  332),  and  through 
him,  afterwards,  of  the  Ptolemies.  They  lived  under  suc- 
cessive kings  of  that  race,  generally  oppressed,  and  often 
treated  with  great  cruelty,  till  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  the 
Illustrious  or  the  Madman, — for  he  had  both  these^.  sur- 
names,— fearing  (B.  C.  167)  that  they  might  seek  relief 
from  his  tyranny  in  the  increasing  power  of  Rome  already 
triumphant  in  Egypt,  determined  to  wipe  out  their  distinc- 


54       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

live  character,  and  entirely  destroy  their  individuality  as  a 
nation.  He  let  loose  his  soldiers  on  the  Sabbath,  upon  the 
unresisting  Jewish  people,  and  encouraged  a  general  mas- 
sacre :  the  streets  of  Jerusalem  ran  with  blood :  the  women 
were  carried  off  into  slavery :  he  ordered  a  general  uni- 
formity of  religion  in  all  his  dominions ;  forced  the  people 
to  profane  the  Sabbath,  and  to  eat  swine's  flesh,  and  forbade 
the  national  rite  of  circumcision.  He  dedicated  their  tem- 
ples to  Jupiter,  placed  an  image  of  that  god  on  their  high 
altar,  and  ordered  sacrifices  to  be  there  made  to  the  Olym- 
pian deity ;  and,  finally,  substituted  the  Bacchanalian  rites 
for  their  great  feast  of  tabernacles.  Resistance  only  led  to 
slaughter :  barbarities  and  outrage  had  full  possession  of 
the  land. 

The  Maccabean  family1  now  rose  into  eminence,  first  by 
slight  resistance;  then,  after  gathering  strength,  by  heading 
a  general  revolt;  and,  finally,  (B.  C.  144),  by  establishing 
the  complete  independence  of  the  Jewish  nation.  The 
alliance  of  Rome  was  sought  for,  and  secured;  and,  finally, 
under  Hyrcanus,  Samaria,  as  already  stated,  and  Galilee  on 
the  north,  and  Iduraea  on  the  south,  were  (B.  C.  108) 
brought  into  subjection  to  the  triumphant  kingdom  of  Judea. 
But  a  new  power — the  Roman — was  spreading  around,  soon 
to  absorb  the  Judean  kingdom,  as  it  did  the  rest  of  the 
world.  In  the  case  of  Judea,  Rome  followed  its  usual 
successful  policy  of  insinuating  itself  into  nations  through 
their  intestine  disputes.  Two  competitors  for  the  Jewish 
throne,  Hyrcanus  and  Aristobolus,  both  of  the  Maccabean 
family,  asserted  their  claims,  and  appealed  to  Pompey  (B.  C. 
64)  as  the  umpire;  he  ended  by  seizing  on  the  kingdom; 
and  from  that  time,  although  for  twenty  years  there  were 
resistances,  and  various  bloody  revolutions,  Judea  was  under 


1  "Asmonean   family"   properly,  but  better  known  by  the   name  of 
Maccabean,  supposed  to  be  derived  from  a  standard  which  they  bore. 


CONDITION  OF  PALESTINE.  55 

control  of  the  Roman  empire.  Antipater.  an  Idumean  of 
noble  birth,  profiting  adroitly  by  these  dissensions,  had,  as 
the  supporter  of  Hyrcanus,  risen  into  distinction;  and  at 
last,  having  procured  from  Rome  the  High  Priesthood  for 
his  favorite,  he  was  himself  made  Procurator  of  Judea.  He 
was  the  father  of  Herod  the  Great,  and  appointed  this  son 
as  governor  of  Galilee.  The  latter,  after  various  reverses 
subsequently  to  his  father's  death,  had  the  crown  of  Judea 
conferred  upon  himself  by  Augustus  and  Antony  (B.  C.  39 ;) 
and  having,  with  the  assistance  of  the  Romans,  rid  that 
country  and  Samaria  of  all  competitors,  and  freed  Galilee 
from  the  bands  of  robbers  that  had  infested  it,  he  found 
himself,  though  still  subordinate  to  Rome,  firmly  seated  on 
the  throne  of  Palestine. 

Herod  was  a  man  of  extraordinary  energies  of  mind  and 
body.  He  rebuilt  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  strengthened 
them  with  towers  of  great  size  and  beauty,  made  for  himself, 
on  Mount  Zion,  a  palace  of  vast  extent  and  architectural 
magnificence,  and  completed  the  walls  around  Moriah, 
producing  on  that  eminence  a  level  platform  of  great  eleva- 
tion;1 thus  making  it  a  vast  mountainous  substructure  for 
supporting  the  cloisters  and  temple  with  which  he  proposed 
to  crown  its  heights.  The  temple  erected  by  Zerubbabel 
500  years  before,  had  suffered  greatly  from  wars  and  the 
lapse  of  time;  but  the  Jews  looked  with  keen  jealousy  on 
any  plans  for  its  demolition ;  and  it  was  only  by  making 
large  preparations  of  materials  ready  for  the  new  edifice, 
previous  to  commencing  any  changes,  that  Herod  could  keep 
their  apprehensions  within  bounds.  The  new  temple  and 
cloisters,  built  by  Herod  will  be  noticed  in  a  future  chapter 
of  this  book.  The  amazing  sums  necessary  for  his  outlays 
for  architectural  and  warlike  purposes  were  procured  partly 

i  Josephus  says  450  feet  at  the  spot  of  the  smallest  elevation ;  600 
feet  at  the  greatest,  i.  e.,  at  the  eastern  side;  but  this  is  considered  an 
exaggeration. 


56        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

by  heavy  extortions  from  his  people;  and  came  partly  by 
contributions  from  Jews,  scattered  now  over  nearly  the  whole 
civilized  world.  The  constant  drain  of  wealth  always 
tending  towards  Jerusalem  was  the  cause  of  serious  appre- 
hensions, even  at  Rome.  Pompey  found  2,000  talents1  in 
the  treasury  of  the  temple  at  the  time  of  his  visit:  Crassus 
plundered  it  of  10,000  talents;  and  both  these  incidents 
occurred  at  times  when  Jerusalem  was  also  constantly  sub- 
jected to  visits  from  plundering  hordes. 

But,  while  indulging  the  national  feeling  in  thus  orna- 
menting the  city  and  its  sacred  mountain,  Herod  was  trying 
to  undermine  the  national  faith  by  foreign  usages  and 
amusements.  "He  built  a  theatre  within  the  walls  of 
Jerusalem,  and  an  amphitheatre  of  immense  size  without. 
He  celebrated  quinquennial  games  on  a  scale  of  unrivalled 
splendor;  invited  the  most  distinguished  proficients  in  every 
kind  of  gymnastic  exercise,  in  chariot  racing,  boxing,  and 
every  kind  of  musical  and  poetic  art;  offered  the  most  costly 
prizes;  and  even  introduced  the  barbarous  spectacles  of  the 
Romans,  fights  of  wild  beasts,  and  also  combats  of  wild 
beasts  with  gladiators.  The  zealous  Jews  looked  on  in 
amazement,  and  with  praiseworthy  though  silent  abhorrence, 
at  those  strange  exhibitions,  so  contrary  to  the  mild  genius 
of  the  great  law-giver's  institutions."  2 

Herod  was,  as  already  stated,  from  Idumea.  When  that 
country  was  added  by  Hyrcanus  to  Judea,  the  inhabitants 
were  compelled  to  adopt  the  Jewish  faith.  But  such  a  forced 
proselytism  left  the  Idumeans  still  semi-pagan  in  belief;  and 
hence  we  see  the  doubtful  Judaism  in  Herod.  He  married, 
both  from  policy  and  affection,  the  beautiful  Mariamne,  a 
princess  of  the  Maccabean  family;  but  he  failed  still  to 
secure  the  confidence  of  the  Jews. 


1  A  talent  of  silver  was  worth  $1,505 ;  of  gold,  $24,000. 
*  Mill  man's  History  of  the  Jews. 


CONDITION  OF  PALESTINE.  57 

Judea  was,  even  during  Herod's  magnificent  reign,  fast 
becoming  a  Roman  province;  its  independence  and  the  glory 
of  the  Maccabean  dynasty  had  departed.  Herod,  after  a 
life  of  daring  and  successful  ambition,  and  of  domestic 
wretchedness,  died,  leaving  by  will  his  kingdom  divided 
between  his  two  sons,  Herod  Antipas  and  Archelaus;  to  the 
former,  Galilee  and  Perea;  to  the  latter,  Samaria,  Judea, 
and  Idumea.  Archelaus  went  immediately  to  Rome  to 
have  his  limited  kingship  confirmed;  and  there  met  Herod 
Antipas,  preferring  a  counter-claim  under  a  former  will 
of  their  father,  made  it  was  asserted,  when  he  was  in  a  saner 
state  of  mind.  While  they  were  absent  contesting  their 
claims,  both  regions  of  country  fell  into  confusion;  and  the 
Prefect  of  Syria  residing  at  Antioch,  had  to  interfere;  the 
wretched  people  being  plundered  and  abused  on  every 
side.  A  deputation  of  five  hundred  Jews  went  to  Rome  to 
petition  for  the  total  abolition  of  the  kingly  government 
and  the  restitution  of  their  ancient  constitution ;  and  were 
joined  in  this  by  eight  thousand  of  their  countrymen  resi- 
dent in  that  city.  Herod's  will  was,  however,  confirmed  by 
the  imperial  edict,  and  Archelaus  took  possession  of  his 
government:  but  his  sovereignty,  marked  by  injustice  and 
cruelty,  after  continuing  for  nine  years,  was  suddenly 
brought  to  a  conclusion  by  a  summons  to  Rome :  his 
brothers  and  subjects  were  his  accusers ;  he  was  condemned 
and  banished  to  Yienne,  in  Gaul,  and  his  kingdom  (A.  D. 
12)  reduced  to  a  Roman  province.  P.  Sulpicius  Quirinius 
was  now  made  Prefect,  or  governor-general  of  Syria,  all 
Palestine  coming  under  his  jurisdiction ;  and  Coponius,  a 
man  of  equestrian  rank,  was  appointed  governor  of  Judea. 
To  the  latter,  two  years  afterwards,  succeeded  M.  Ambivius ; 
then  came  Annius  Rufus :  next  (A.  D.  16)  Valerius  Gratus, 
and  finally  (A.  D.  27)  Pontius  Pilate.  Jerusalem  itself  had 
sunk,  during  the  rule  of  these  governors,  into  secondary 
political  consequence,  the  residence  of  the  governors  being 


58        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

at  Caesarea ;  but  the  people,  since  the  time  of  Archelaus,  had 
enjoyed  an  unusual  state  of  rest.  This  history,  necessarily 
brief,  can  give  the  reader  scarcely  any  conception  of  the 
disorders,  tumults,  exactions,  and  cruelties — often  barbarities, 
to  which  the  people  of  Palestine  had  been  subjected,  through 
nearly  the  whole  of  this  long  period  of  time. 

The  government  was  now  unequivocally  Roman :  Pilate 
was  over  Judea  as  Procurator,  and  Herod  Antipas  Tetrarch 
of  Galilee  and  Perea ; — both  subject  to  the  Proconsul  of 
Syria ;  the  Jewish  laws  and  institutions,  so  far  as  they  did 
not  conflict  with  the  Koman,  were  still  left  in  force,  the 
power  of  inflicting  capital  punishment  being  the  only  ex- 
ception ;  that  being  reserved  for  the  representatives  of  Rome. 
Such  was  the  political  condition  of  Palestine  when  our  Sa- 
viour's public  ministry  commenced. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
JEWISH  MANNERS  AND   CUSTOMS. 

THE  captivity  had  wrought  one  very  remarkable  change  in 
the  Jewish  character : — it  had  cured  them  of  their  dispo- 
sition towards  idolatry.  It  may  seem  strange  that  there 
should  ever  have  existed  such  inclinations  among  a  people 
distinguished,  as  they  had  been,  by  signal  manifestations  of 
God's  power  for  them  ;  who  had  his  law  in  their  hands ; 
and  who  knew  both  the  sternness  of  his  prohibitions  against 
this  wickedness,  and  his  irrevocable  purposes  for  punishing 
it.  But  the  whole  world  around  them  was  given  to  idola- 
try: and  they  found  it  difficult  to  spiritualize  even  their 
own  grand  and  wonderful  system ;  while,  among  all  other 
nations  religion  was  sensuous,  that  is,  directed  to  the  outer 


MANNERS  AND   CUSTOMS.  59 

senses,  which  could  more  easily  comprehend  the  nature  and 
demands  of  such  belief.  To  look  inward  and  bind  the  soul 
to  God,  making  it  while  on  earth  a  part  of  the  kingdom 
which  is  not  of  this  world,  is  the  highest  act  of  our  being; 
and  the  Jews  had  not  only  not  attained  to  this,  but  had  a 
very  imperfect  idea  of  what  it  could  mean.  When  just  re- 
leased from  Egypt  they  were  ignorant  and  they  had  for 
long  years  been  brutalized  by  slavery.  God,  compassion- 
ating their  ignorance  and  weakness,  allowed  them  a  religious 
system  in  some  respects  sensuous,  but  in  every  item  typify- 
ing the  unseen  ;  that  is  the  tabernacle,  the  ark,  the  table  of 
show-bread,  the  candlestick,  the  altar  of  incense,  the  mercy- 
seat,  the  cherubim,  the  golden  ornaments,  the  purple  hang- 
ings, the  Urim  and  Thummim  in  which  he  condescended  to 
make  himself  especially  known  and  felt.  So  afterwards, 
also  with  the  temple  on  Mount  Moriah,  honored  as  no  other 
temple  has  ever  been.  But  they  regarded  only  the  exterior; 
and  by  their  own  want  of  effort  and  by  their  worldliness, 
that  which  was  meant  to  guide  them  to  look  within  and  then 
up  to  God,  led  them  to  the  further  sensuousness  of  their 
neighbors,  often  of  the  grossest  kind. 

Temple,  altar,  cherubim,  Urim  and  Thummim, — all  were 
swept  away  by  the  Assyrian  conqueror;  and  only  blackened 
ruins  remained  behind  in  their  stead. 

In  their  captivity  the  Jews  had  to  look  more  directly  to 
God ;  and  they  did  it  in  mournings  and  humiliations,  such 
as  well  befitted  them,  after  so  many  vile  apostasies  in  their 
own  land. 

When  they  returned  there  was  soon  evident  a  great 
change  and  great  improvement  in  these  outward  things. 
They  had  now  the  proseuchce  and  synagogues  all  over  the 
country.  The  proseucha  was  a  place  of  prayer,  a  simple, 
open  space  without  ostentation  or  ornament,  but  generally 
in  a  spot  outside  of  their  cities  or  towns,  shaded  by  trees. 
Here  the  traveller  or  the  resident  could  bo\\  in  soul,  in  God's 


60       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

great  temple  not  made  with  hands ;  and  feeling  that  Jeho- 
vah was  present,  could  lift  up  his  voice  and  heart  to  him. 
The  synagogues  were  places  of  more  formal  worship,  and 
were  soon  in  general  use :  there  being,  it  is  said,  in  Jerusa- 
lem alone,  not  less  than  four  hundred  and  eighty  during  its 
later  times.  The  worship  in  these  was  doubtless  more  of  a 
spiritual  nature  than  that  in  the  temple  itself;  and  what 
was  also  of  consequence,  oral  instruction  was  here  largely 
combined  with  singing,  reading,  and  prayers.  The  Jew- 
ish people,  in  all  this,  had  evidently  taken  a  most  important 
step  in  improvement ;  but  still  there  were  counteracting  cir- 
cumstances, (to  be  noticed  presently,  p.  81-88),  terribly  cor- 
rupting their  hearts. 

The  synagogues  were  of  various  sizes,  but  generally  not 
large.  As  far  as  possible  they  were  built  in  imitation  of  the 
temple  at  Jerusalem  with  an  open  court  and  corridors  sur- 
rounding the  court.  In  this  was  a  chapel,  or  small  build- 
ing, ornamented  with  four  columns ;  and  in  the  chapel,  on 
an  elevated  place,  were  the  books  of  the  law  kept  ready  for 
use.  The  "  uppermost  seats  in  the  synagogue"  were  those 
nearest  this  chapel,  and  these  were  the  most  honorable.  In 
addition,  there  was  erected  in  the  court  a  large  hall  or  ves- 
try, into  which  people  could  retire  when  the  weather  hap- 
pened to  be  unfavorable,  and  where  each  family  had  its  own 
particular  seat.  To  each  building  there  were  officers : — 1st. 
The  Ruler  of  the  Synagogue,  who  presided  over  the  assem- 
bly and  invited  readers  and  speakers,  unless  some  persons 
who  were  acceptable,  voluntarily  offered  themselves,  (Luke 
viii.  41,  and  xiii.  14, 15).  2d.  The  Elders  of  the  synagogue — 
TrpsfffluTspot,  or  presbyters ;  they  appear  to  have  been  coun- 
sellors of  the  head  or  ruler,  and  were  chosen  from  among  the 
most  powerful  and  learned  of  the  people.  The  council  of 
the  elders  not  only  took  part  in  the  management  of  the  in- 
ternal concerns  of  the  synagogue,  but  also  punished  trans- 
gressors of  the  public  laws,  either  by  turning  them  out  of 


MANNERS  AND    CUSTOMS.  6 1 

the  synagogue  or  decreeing  the  punishment  of  thirty-nine 
stripes,  (John  xii.  42 ;  xvi.  2 ;  2  Cor.  xi.  24).  3d.  The  Col- 
lector of  alms;  and,  4th.  Servants  of  the  synagogue. 

When  the  people  were  collected  together  for  worship  the 
services  began,  after  the  usual  greeting,  with  a  doxology.  A 
selection  was  then  read  from  the  Mosaic  law,  (Acts  xv.  21). 
Then  followed,  after  singing  of  a  second  doxology,  the  read- 
ing of  a  portion  from  the  Prophets.  (Luke  iv.  17).  The 
person  whose  duty  it  was  to  perform  the  reading  placed 
upon  his  head,  as  is  done  at  the  present  day,  a  covering 
called  Tal.ith.  (See  2  Cor.  iii.  15).  The  sections  which  had 
been  read  in  the  Hebrew  were  rendered  by  an  interpreter 
into  the  vernacular  tongue ;  and  the  reader,  or  some  one  else, 
then  addressed  the  people.  (Acts  xiii.  15). 

It  was  on  occasions  such  as  this  that  Jesus  and  after- 
wards the  Apostles,  taught  the  people.  The  meeting,  as 
far  as  religion  was  concerned,  was  ended  with  prayer,  to 
which  the  people  responded,  Amen;  after  which  a  collec- 
tion was  taken  for  the  poor. 

Such  was  the  synagogue  worship  of  that  period,  often 
sanctioned  by  our  Saviour's  presence,  and  by  his  taking  a 
part  himself  in  the  services. 

The  modern  Jewish  synagogues  are,  as  far  as  possible, 
imitations  of  those  ancient  ones ;  and  a  visit  to  them  is  re- 
commended to  any  one  who  may  desire  to  look  far  back  into 
the  remote  times.  We  may  also  gain  in  them  some  idea  of 
the  adaptation  to  music  of  the  language  in  which  David 
wrote:  for  in  these  services  the  Hebrew  is  still  almost  ex- 
clusively used.  It  is  desirable,  however,  to  select  a  syna- 
gogue of  the  higher  order :  for  in  the  inferior  ones,  both 
the  language  and  the  service  are  often  repulsive,  seeming  to 
be  a  discordant  jargon  with  but  little  appearance  of 
devotion. 

On  entering  we  notice  that  the  heads  of  the  men,  as  well 
as  of  the  women,  are  all  kept  covered  as  in  the  ancient 


62        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

usages :  also  that  the  standing  posture  is  that  of  prayer,  as 
was  the  case  in  those  former  days.  The  eye  too  is  caught 
immediately  by  a  white  garment,  a  simple,  rectangular  piece 
of  cloth,  six  or  eight  feet  long  by  three  or  four  wide,  which 
each  male  worshipper  puts  on  as  he  takes  his  place,  and 
leaves  behind  when  he  retires.  In  the  wealthier  synagogues 
it  is  of  silk,  in  others  of  woollen  stuff;  but  it  is  always 
white,  with  blue  stripes  across  at  the  ends;  sometimes,  but 
not  uniformly,  a  fringe  at  each  end ;  and  in  every  case  it 
has  a  number  of  cords  a  foot  or  so  in  length,  of  the  same 
stuff,  appended  to  each  of  the  corners.  In  viewing  this 
garment  we  are  carried  at  once  into  the  remotest  antiquity : 
for  these  blue  stripes  at  the  end  are  "the  ribbon  of  blue," 
and  the  cords  at  the  corners  represent  the  fringes  commanded 
by  Moses  (Numbers  xv.  32—41,  but  more  especially  Deut. 
xxii.  12)  to  be  worn  as  a  reminder  of  the  penalty  for  trans- 
gressing the  Sabbath :  "  and  it  shall  be  unto  you  for  a 
fringe,  that  ye  may  look  upon  it  and  remember  all  the  com- 
mandments of  the  Lord  and  do  them."  The  garment  is 
called  Taliihj  and  is  sometimes  made  to  cover  also  the  head 
of  the  persons  officiating  in  their  religious  service.  It  is 
worn  by  the  congregation  mostly  over  the  shoulders,  but 
also  in  a  variety  of  ways  across  the  back ;  and  forms  not  an 
ungraceful  drapery.  I  have  seen,  in  a  country  church  in 
Scotland,  every  man  with  his  plaid  across  the  shoulder, 
making  a  very  picturesque  congregation ;  but  although  the 
plaid  is  of  the  same  size  and  shape  as  this  garment,  it  wants 
the  sacred  associations  of  the  Taliili:  the  latter  is  always 
white. 

The  language  is  deeply  guttural ;  and  to  my  own  ear, 
traveller  as  I  have  been  among  the  Turks,  and  also  the  Ger- 
mans, it  has,  as  chanted  in  these  synagogues,  a  familiar  and 
very  far  from  unmusical  sound  ;  for  it  has  both  richness  and 
power.  Especially  at  the  close  of  the  worship,  when  the 
whole  assembly  unite  in  the  singing,  may  we  have  some 


MANNERS  AND    CUSTOMS.  63 

idea  of  the  rich  music  as  it  floated  in  the  old  times  from 
the  heights  of  Moriah  in  the  daily  sacrifices ;  or  from  their 
companies  to  and  from  the  festivals,  as  they  travelled  over 
hill  and  valley,  singing  on  their  way  their  great  hymns  to 
God. 

Those  ancient  synagogues,  and  the  nature  of  the  worship 
offered  there,  in  a  large  portion  of  which  the  whole  assembly 
united,  and  also  the  address  and  instructions  on  those  occa- 
sions, must  have  had  a  powerful  influence  in  keeping  the 
Jews,  after  the  captivity,  from  the  idolatrous  tendencies  so 
striking  in  the  national  character  previous  to  that  time. 

Of  education  there  seems  to  have  been  little  in  our  full 
meaning  of  that  word.  The  sons  remained  at  home  under 
the  care  of  the  mother  until  five  years  of  age,  when  the  fa- 
ther took  them  in  charge  and  taught  them  in  the  arts  and 
the  duties  of  life,  and  more  especially  in  the  Mosaic  law, 
and  all  other  things  connected  with  their  religion,  (Dent.  vi. 
20—25;  vii.  19;  xi.  19).  For  further  instruction,  private 
teachers  were  provided ;  or  they  were  sent  to  a  priest  or  Le- 
vite,  who  sometimes  had  numbers  under  his  care.  We  may 
infer  from  Samuel,  (1  Samuel  i.  24-28),  that  there  was  at 
that  time  near  the  tabernacle,  a  school  for  the  instruction 
of  youth ;  but  the  instruction,  except  in  religious  matters, 
was  very  limited.  Astronomy  in  those  days  was  apt  to 
run  into  astrology,  which  was  forbidden  to  the  Jews :  a  lit- 
tle knowledge  of  mathematics  sufficed  for  their  wants :  the 
sciences,  in  all  nations  at  that  period  were  few  in  number. 
The  whole  bent  of  the  Jewish  scholars  was  towards  the  study 
of  their  written  and  their  traditional  law,  and  the  questions 
to  which  these  gave  rise.  Their  teachers  enjoined  on  all 
parents  to  have  their  children  taught  some  art  or  handicraft: 
and  the  Talmuds  particularize  many  learned  men  who  were 
engaged  in  manual  labor.  "What  is  commanded,"  says  a 
Talmudic  writer,  "  of  a  father  toward  his  son  ?  To  circum- 
cise him;  to  teach  him  the  law;  to  teach  him  a  trade/' 


64        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

Their  great  cabalist,  Rabbi  Judah,  "  Our  Holy  Rabbi,"  as 
he  was  called,  wrote,  "  He  that  teacheth  not  his  son  a  trade, 
does  the  same  as  if  he  taught  him  to  be  a  thief;"  and  Gama- 
liel (Saul's  teacher)  said,  "  He  that  hath  a  trade  in  his  hand, 
to  what  is  he  like?  He  is  like  a  vineyard  that  is  fenced." 

"  There  prevailed  among  the  Hebrews  no  little  propriety 
and  refinement  of  manners.  The  Orientals  would  be  thought 
by  Europeans  to  be  excessive  in  their  gestures  and  expres- 
sions of  good-will,  when  in  truth  they  mean  no  more  than 
very  moderate  ones  among  us. 

"  In  the  time  of  Christ  the  ancient  mode  of  addressing 
those  who  were  worthy  of  being  honored,  viz.,  My  lord,  or 
words  to  that  effect,  was  in  a  measure  superseded,  and  the 
more  extravagant  address  of  Rabbi,  i.  e.,  the  great  mighty, 
which  originated  in  the  schools,  had  become  common  among 
the  people. 

"  The  salutation  between  friends  was  an  occurrence  which 
consumed  much  time :  for  this  reason  it  was  anciently  incul- 
cated upon  messengers  who  were  sent  upon  business  which 
required  despatch,  not  to  salute  any  one  by  the  way,  (2  Kings 
iv.  29  ;  Luke  x.  4). 

"  The  ancient  Hebrew  in  particular  rarely  used  any  term 
of  reproach  more  severe  than  those  of  adversary  or  opposer, 
raca,  contemptible,  nabal,  fool ;  an  expression  which  means 
wicked  man  or  atheist.  When  anything  was  said  which 
was  not  acceptable,  the  dissatisfied  person  replied,  It  is  enough, 
(Deut.  iii.  26).  The  formula  of  assent  was,  Thou  hast  said, 
or  thou  hast  said  rightly.  This  is  the  form  of  expressing  as- 
sent or  an  affirmative  to  this  day."  l 

Their  dress,  unchanged  from  century  to  century,  was 
generally  simple  and  plain.  It  consisted  of  a  tunic  (also 
worn  by  the  Romans,  as  we  see  in  their  sculptures),  which 
was  a  loose  garment  encircling  the  body,  with  short  sleeves, 


Jahn's  Archaeology. 


MANNERS  AND   CUSTOMS.  65 

and  reaching  nearly  to  the  knees.  The  Babylonians,  Egyp- 
tians and  Persians  wore  another  and  outer  tunic  of  more 
costly  material,  a  custom  also  adopted  by  the  Jews,  and  re- 
ferred to  in  Matthew  x.  10  and  Luke  ix.  3.  The  tunic  being 
loose  and  bound  by  a  girdle  at  the  middle,  made  something 
like  drapery,  as  we  see  in  the  ancient  sculptures  of  Greece 
and  Rome.  The  girdle  was  of  leather,  or  flax,  or  silk,  and 
was  a  hand's  breadth  in  width.  Over  this  was  worn  the 
Simlah  or  upper  garment  (the  Talifli),  simply  a  rectangular 
piece  of  cloth,  eight  or  nine  feet  long  by  five  or  six  in  width, 
and  thrown  over  the  shoulders,  or  over  one  shoulder  with 
the  corners  tied  under  the  other,  or  wrapped  around  the 
body,  or  in  any  other  manner  that  the  wearer  might  choose. 
However  worn,  it  was  always  a  becoming  drapery.  Thrown 
over  the  head  and  held  there  by  a  fillet,  as  by  the  Arabs  of 
the  present  day,  it  formed  a  protection  from  the  sun.  It 
was  so  large  that  burdens  could  be  carried  in  it,  (Exodus 
xii.  34;  2  Kings  iv.  39),  and  one  end  thrown  over  the  shoul- 
der in  front  and  tied  could  be  made  a  convenient  receptacle 
or  pocket,  as  in  Luke  vi.  38.  At  night  the  Hebrew  wrapped 
himself  in  this  simlah,  and  if  travelling,  his  girdle  un- 
clasped and  laid  on  a  stone  for  a  pillow  made  all  the  pre- 
parations necessary  for  his  repose.  This  is  seen  in  those 
countries  at  the  present  time.  So  necessary  was  this  simlah 
to  the  Jew  that  Moses  enacted  a  law  that  when  given  as  a 
pledge  it  should  be  returned  before  night.  (Exodus  xxii. 
25-27 ;  Deut,  xxiv.  13). 

These  simple  garments, — the  drawers,  tunic  and  simlali, 
formed  the  usual  costume  of  the  Jew,  a  convenient  and  ap- 
propriate one  in  that  southern  climate :  in  winter  the  legs 
were  often  bound  in  cloth  for  warmth,  and  cloaks  were  worn 
also  as  a  shelter  from  the  weather.  The  cloak  referred  to  in 
2  Tim.  iv.  13,  was  a  Roman  garment  worn  as  a  protection 
from  the  rain,  or  on  journeys.  Long  garments  were  worn 
by  those  affecting  particular  sanctity  or  wisdom.  The  Tal- 


66        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

mud  says,  "Rabbi  Jochanon  asked  Rabbi  Baruaah,  what 
kind  of  garment  is  the  inner  garment  of  the  disciple  of  the 
wise  man  ?  It  is  such  an  one  that  the  flesh  may  not  be  seen 
underneath  him."  The  glossis  is,  "  It  is  to  reach  to  the  very 
soles  of  the  feet."1 

White  was  esteemed  the  most  appropriate  color  for  cotton 
cloths,  and  purple  for  others ;  black  was  used  for  common 
wear  and  particularly  for  mourners.  On  festival  days,  the 
rich  and  powerful  robed  themselves  in  white  cotton,  and  the 
fullers  had  discovered  a  method  of  giving  it  a  dazzling  bril- 
liancy, which  was  very  highly  esteemed.  Scarlet  was  much 
admired.  The  tunics  of  the  women  were  longer  than  those 
of  the  men,  and  their  dress  was  usually  of  finer  quality  of 
cloth ;  they  always  wore  veils,  even  at  home,  except  in  the 
presence  of  servants  and  of  those  relatives  with  whom  nup- 
tials were  interdicted  :  their  hair  was  also  dressed  differently 
from  that  of  the  men. 

Add  to  the  sandals,  tunic,  and  simlah,  a  beard  and  some- 
times a  turban  or  covering  for  the  head,  and  we  have  an 
idea  of  the  outward  appearance  of  the  Jew  of  those  ancient 
times.  The  face  which  we  call  Jewish  is  by  no  means  uni- 
versal :  any  one  who  will  now,  look  around  in  a  Jewish 
synagogue  of  the  better  kind,  will  see  many  faces  of  our  own 
type,  which  would  be  not  at  all  distinguishable  in  the  street ; 
and  doubtless  in  those  remote  periods  the  Jewish  features  gene- 
rally were  of  a  cast  superior  to  these  seen  now,  after  the  long 
centuries,  during  which  these  people  have  been  as  the  Pariahs 
of  mankind.  That  universal  traveller,  Bayard  Taylor,  says 
of  the  Jews  whom  he  met  in  Palestine,  "  The  native  Jewish 
families  in  Jerusalem,  as  well  as  those  in  other  parts  of  Pa- 
lestine, present  a  marked  difference  from  the  Jews  of  Europe 
and  America,  They  possess  the  same  physical  characteris- 
tics in  the  dark,  oblong  eye,  the  prominent  nose,  the  strongly 


Lightfoot. 


MANNERS  AND    CUSTOMS.  67 

marked  cheek  and  jaw ;  but  in  the  latter  these  traits  have 
become  harsh  and  coarse.  Centuries  devoted  to  the  lowest 
and  most  debasing  forms  of  traffic,  with  the  endurance  of 
persecutions  and  contumely,  have  greatly  changed  and  vul- 
garized the  appearance  of  the  race.  But  the  Jews  of  the 
Holy  City  still  retain  a  noble  beauty,  which  proved  to  my 
mind  their  descent  from  the  ancient  princely  house  of  Is- 
rael. The  forehead  is  loftier,  the  eye  larger  and  more  frank 
in  its  expression,  the  nose  more  delicate  in  its  prominence, 
and  the  face  of  a  purer  oval.  I  have  remarked  the  same 
distinction  in  the  countenance  of  those  Jewish  families  of 
Europe  whose  members  have  devoted  themselves  to  art  or 
literature.  Mendelssohn's  \vas  a  face  that  must  have  belonged 
to  the  house  of  David." l 

Miss  Martineau  remarks  on  the  same  subject :  "  The  idlers 
who  hung  about  us  [at  Hebron]  were  a  very  handsome  set 
of  people ;  and  in  the  town  we  were  yet  more  struck  with 
the  beauty  of  those  we  passed.  Among  all  the  Jews  we  saw, 
I  observed  only  one  who  had  what  we  call  the  Jewish  cast 
of  countenance.  Here  and  at  Jerusalem  and  elsewhere  we 
saw  many  Jews  with  fair  complexions,  blue  eyes,  and  light 
hair.  Such  eyes  I  never  saw  as  both  the  blue  and  the 
brown ;  soft,  noble  eyes,  such  as  bring  tears  into  one's  own, 
one  knows  not  why.  The  form  of  the  face  was  unusually 
fine,  and  the  complexion  clear  brown  or  fair ;  the  hair  beau- 
tiful."2 

That  singular  addition  to  their  costume, — the  phylacteries, 
has  already  been  described.  When  a  Jew  wished  to  make  a 
profession  of  unusual  strictness  in  observing  the  law,  he  en- 
larged their  size,  so  as  to  make  them  a  more  striking  object 
to  the  public  eye. 

Mezuza  was  a  name  given  to  an  appendage  of  a  similar 
kind  designed  for  the  door-posts  of  their  houses,  both  the 


"  The  Land  of  the  Saracen."  » "  Eastern  Life.' 


68       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

outer  doors  and  their  chambers,  and  attached  also  to  the 
knockers  of  doors  on  the  right  side.  They  wrote  on  parch- 
ment with  a  peculiar  kind  of  ink,  Deut.  vi.  4-9,  and  xi.  13 : 
the  parchment  was  rolled  up  and  put  in  a  case  on  the  out- 
side of  which  was  inscribed  HP  Shadai,  one  of  the  names  of 
God,  and  the  case  was  nailed  to  the  door-post.  As  often  as 
they  passed  this  they  touched  the  name  of  the  Deity  with  a 
finger  which  they  afterwards  kissed.  The  Mezuza  are  still 
used  in  Jewish  houses,  and  may  sometimes  be  seen  in  our 
own  country. 

The  Mezuza.1 


CHAPTER  VII. 
JEWISH  FESTIVALS. 

rilHBICE  in  the  year  every  adult  male  was  bound  to  appear 
~L  at  Jerusalem  ;  namely,  at  the  feasts  of  Passover,  of  Pen- 
tecost, and  of  Tabernacles.  This  seems  to  have  been  a  great 
demand  on  their  time  and  means ;  but  religious  observances 
were  to  the  Jews  no  simple  pastime,  but  the  main  business 
of  life ;  as  their  Sabbath,  Sabbatical  years,  their  tithes,  sacri- 

1  This  affords  a  good  opportunity  for  elucidating  Matt.  v.  18:  "Till 
heaven  and  earth  pass,  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise  pass  from 
the  law,  till  all  be  fulfilled."  The  small  letter  on  the  left,  the  least  in 
the  Jewish  alphabet  is  Yod,  (Yot,  Jot,)  and  the  tips  at  the  upper  part  of 
the  letter  on  the  right  is  what  is  meant  by  tittle  (in  the  Greek  of  this  pas- 
sage xtpaia,  tip  or  horn).  "Not  the  smallest  letter  or  least  part  of  a  let- 
ter shall  be  dropped  from  the  words  of  the  law,"  &c. 


JEWISH  FESTIVALS.  69 

fices,  and  feasts  and  festivals  may  testify.  Their  whole  polity 
was  a  great  religious  system.  God,  according  to  this,  was 
their  owner  as  well  as  king.  Their  means,  and  they  them- 
selves, were  his.  He  had  a  right  to  their  first-born  of  chil- 
dren :  the  firstlings  of  their  flocks  had  to  be  offered  to  him  ; 
so  also  the  first  of  their  fruits :  nay  more ;  of  the  remain- 
der, one-tenth  was  still  to  be  taken  to  the  temple ;  or  to  be 
changed  into  money  if  the  owner  was  too  remote  to  offer 
the  substance;  the  money  to  be  given  for  religious  uses. 
There  were  also  numerous  other  offerings  which  we  will  not 
stop  here  to  particularize. 

In  lieu  of  taking  the  first-born  child,  (due  to  God  because 
he  had  saved  the  first-born  of  Israel  from  the  destroying 
angel  in  Egypt),  he  had  accepted  for  himself  a  tribe, — that 
of  Levi, — and  had  set  it  aside  for  his  service.  Of  this  tribe 
he  had  then  taken  a  portion — the  distinguished  family  of 
Aaron — for  the  priesthood;  the  remainder  being  reserved 
for  the  other  offices  of  the  tabernacle  and  temple.  But  even 
after  this,  the  first-born  of  all  children  had  to  be  brought  to 
the  temple,  and  had  to  be  there  redeemed  with  money,  ac- 
cording to  the  estimate  of  the  priest,  which  was  never  to 
exceed  five  shekels  ($2,50)  in  amount.  The  first-born  of  cat- 
tle could  not  be  redeemed,  but  had  to  be  offered  to  God :  so 
also  the  first-fruits  of  the  earth. 

These  three  journeys  to  Jerusalem,  made  each  year,  were 
not  the  inconvenient,  laborious  tasks  which  they  may  per- 
haps seem  to  us  to  have  been.  The  two  extremes  of  Pales- 
tine were  only  170  of  our  statute  miles  apart :  from  the  most 
remote  portions  of  it  a  good  pedestrian  could  reach  Jerusa- 
lem in  about  four  days;  travelling  as  they  did,  with  fami- 
lies and  cattle,  this  distance  would  take  about  six;  the  nearer 
places,  of  course,  less  in  proportion.  Their  word  for  feast, 
an  cliag,  means  rejoicing  ;l  and  such  was  doubtless  the  feeling 


1  From  jjn  to  dance,  to  celebrate  a  feast  by  dancing. 


70       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

strongest  in  the  heart  of  old  and  young  in  their  families, 
while  making  preparations  for  such  a  journey,  and  while 
they  were  on  the  way. 

The  writer  of  this  work  is  the  more  able  to  picture 
to  himself  this  act  of  going  up  to  their  festivals  from 
having  once  travelled  a  day  and  a  half  with  companies  of 
German  pilgrims  on  their  way  to  a  celebrated  shrine,  that 
of  Maria  Zell,  (the  Virgin  of  Zell),  lying  about  forty  miles 
to  the  southward  of  Vienna.  The  circumstances  were  all 
so  peculiar  and  marked  with  the  picturesque,  and  were  so 
illustrative  of  what  may  have  been  in  Judea,  in  those 
ancient  times,  that  he  will  briefly  describe  them,  speaking 
in  the  first  person  for  the  sake  of  convenience. 

I  was  making  a  pedestrian  tour  through  Europe,  and  was 
at  this  time  (August,  1833),  proceeding  from  Trieste  to 
Vienna.  Having  stopped  at  a  wayside  inn  for  refresh- 
ment one  day,  after  dinner,  I  was  dozing  on  the  porch 
when  I  was  roused  up  by  three  women  travellers  standing 
there  bargaining  for  some  soup.  They  had  great  loaves  of 
brown  bread  on  their  heads,  and  were  soon,  by  such  aid, 
engaged  in  making  a  hearty  meal.  I  asked  them  where 
they  were  going,  and  they  said,  "to  Maria  Zell."  My 
informant,  pointing  to  one  of  the  company  added,  "This 
woman  is  becoming  blind,  and  wanted  to  go  there  and  pray; 
for  Maria  of  Zell  is  powerful  to  help;  this  other  is  quite 
blind  already."  "But  surely  you  cannot  expect  Tier  to  be 
restored."  "No,  but  she  would  not  stay  at  home."  The 
person  speaking  could  see,  and  was  their  guide;  their  whole 
journey  to  the  shrine  would  occupy  nine  days. 

On  the  second  day  after  this,  while  travelling  on,  I  was 
passed  by  a  young  man,  a  long  staff  in  his  hand,  and  going 
like  the  wind;  and  he  soon  left  me  behind.  In  answer  to 
my  inquiry,  as  he  lingered  a  minute  with  me,  he  said  that 
he  was  going  to  Maria  Zell. 

That  evening  I  crossed  a  small  stream,  and  followed  a 


JEWISH  FESTIVALS.  71 

winding  road  from  it  to  the  village  of  Fronleiten,  on  its 
bank,  where  I  stopped  to  spend  the  next  day,  the  Sabbath. 
At  the  tavern  the}7  gave  me  a  bed  in  a  large  music  room,  as 
was  often  the  case  in  the  villages  in  Germany.  Some  time, 
during  the  night,  it  seemed  as  if  the  spirit  of  song  was 
haunting  the  chamber  and  mixing  itself  with  my  dreams; 
and  finally  the  music,  soft  yet  strong,  grew  so  powerful  that 
I  started  from  my  sleep.  The  next  act  was  to  spring  from 
my  bed  and  to  throw  up  a  window  opening  upon  the  street. 
There  was  a  spectacle  below  quite  in  unison  with  such 
dreams.  The  moon  was  about  half  an  hour  from  setting, 
and  cast  a  dim  light  on  objects  around.  Along  the  middle 
of  the  street  was  a  procession  of  pilgrims,  in  double  file; 
they  seemed,  to  my  glance,  to  be  all  in  white;  and  their 
rapid  gait,  in  the  dull  moonlight,  appeared  more  like  the 
flitting  of  ghosts  than  the  tread  of  earthly  forms.  As  they 
passed,  they  were  singing  a  hymn  to  some  tune  that  harmo- 
nized with  the  scene  and  the  occasion.  They  soon  grew 
indistinct,  and  their  hymn  floated  on  the  night  air  as  if 
spirits  were  singing;  and  then  we  had  again  only  the 
deserted  street  and  the  splashing  of  water  in  the  fountain 
below. 

At  sunrise  I  was  again  aroused  by  singing  from  many 
voices  in  the  street;  and  found,  on  looking  out,  that  it  came 
from  another  company  of  pilgrims  winding  up  from  the 
river  and  entering  the  church.  After  concluding  their 
worship,  they  proceeded  on  their  way.  Other  processions 
succeeded ;  and  during  the  whole  day,  pilgrims  were  passing 
on  towards  Maria  Zell.  I  found,  on  inquiry,  that  they  were 
from  the  rural  districts  of  Styria;  that  it  was  customary  to 
make  appointments  each  year,  for  particular  districts,  and 
that  this  was  the  year  for  pilgrims  from  that  region. 

I  began  my  journey  early  on  the  following  day  :  and  as  the 
road,  since  leaving  Gratz,  had  been  most  of  the  time  ascend- 
ing, and  was  now  fairly  among  the  German  Alps,  the 


72       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

scenery  on  every  side  was  marked  with  grand  and  striking 
features.  I  knew  that  there  were  pilgrims  not  far  ahead, 
and  by  rapid  walking  soon  joined  a  company  of  thirty-five, 
seated  on  the  grass,  at  their  morning  meal.  They  appeared 
to  be  a  family  party;  and  there  was  a  venerable-looking  man 
at  the  head  of  it,  by  whose  word  they  were  governed,  as 
they  presently  arose  and  formed  a  procession  in  double  file. 
They  were  all  provided  for  the  journey  with  huge  loaves  of 
bread,  which  the  women  carried  on  their  heads.  Not  long 
after  setting  out,  the  leader  uncovered  his  head,  and  all  the 
other  men  doing  the  same,  the  whole  party  engaged  in 
solemn  prayer;  still,  however,  continuing  their  walk.  This 
over,  the  hats  were  replaced  and  they  all  commenced  singing 
a  hymn.  The  effect  was  very  fine.  Their  voices  were  good; 
the  tune  was  a  pleasant  one;  the  grandest  and  most  sublime 
forms  of  nature  were  all  around  us;  a  stream  was  dashing 
by  our  side,  mingling  its  sounds  not  inharmoniously  with 
the  singing;  and  the  gentle  moving  of  the  forest  trees,  as  we 
passed  along,  seemed  by  the  graceful  motions  and  the  soft 
murmurings,  to  intimate  that  nature  herself  was  joining  in 
the  worship  offered  to  nature's  God.  I  looked  in  the  faces 
of  my  companions,  and  read  there  clear  signs  of  the  sincerity 
of  their  devotions.  Thus  we  travelled  on,  the  whole  party 
engaged  in  singing  and  praying  alternately,  for  more  than 
an  hour;  at  the  end  of  which  time  we  arrived  at  a  little 
chapel  by  the  roadside,  which  they  entered  in  order  to 
commence  more  formal  devotions. 

Here  I  left  them ;  and  passing  on,  I  soon  joined  a  party 
of  about  150  resting  in  the  little  town  of  Oflanrls;  and  this 
company,  being  more  miscellaneous,  was  organized  more 
carefully  than  the  other.  They  occupied  much  of  the  time, 
as  we  proceeded,  in  singing  and  prayer:  a  slight  rain,  lasting 
two  or  three  hours,  did  not  interrupt  either  the  journey  or 
their  devotions. 

They  also  stopped  in  the  afternoon ;  and  I  proceeded  and 


JEWISH  FESTIVALS.  73 

joined  a  party  of  about  250,  a  little  further  on  the  road. 
Their  singing,  as  we  travelled  on,  had  the  finest  effect  ima- 
ginable: for  the  rain  had  now  ceased  ;  we  were  quite  up, 
among  the  highest  parts  of  the  Alps;  the  softening  influ- 
ences of  evening  were  beginning  to  be  felt  upon  the  scenery, 
and  upon  our  feelings;  and,  if  to  this,  we  add  that  the 
voices  were  good,  and  the  airs  musical  and  swevt,  some  idea 
may  be  formed  of  the  evening  walk,  as  our  procession  passed, 
winding  among  the  mountain  tops. 

About  sunset,  we  came  to  a  small  village,  and  stopped  to 
rest.  I  walked  a  little  to  one  side,  so  as  to  have  a  view,  at 
leisure,  of  the  mountain  scenery  :  for  the  spot  commanded  a 
most  extensive  prospect;  and  every  Alpine  height  was  now 
steeped  in  its  own  peculiar  hue,  running  through  the  richest 
shades  of  blue,  purple,  green  and  yellow;  while  over  some, 
floated  canopies  of  vapor  with  ever-changing  colors,  which 
no  human  art  could  imitate.  I  soon,  however,  thought  it 
best  to  return  to  my  company  : — but  they  were  gone,  nor 
could  I  find  them  anywhere!  The  road  in  each' direction 
was  in  sight,  for  some  distance ;  but  they  were  not  there.  I 
looked  around,  perplexed  and  troubled  :  till,  at  last,  hap- 
pening to  raise  my  eyes,  I  espied  them  scattered  thickly  over 
an  adjoining  hill-side  so  steep  that  I  had  previously  not 
thought  of  looking  for  them  there.  It  is  called  the  "  Seher- 
berg;"  and  is  so  steep,  that,  in  climbing  it,  I  often  had  to 
dig  holes  in  the  turf  with  my  feet  before  trusting  myself  to 
the  next  step.  On  the  way  up,  I  passed  four  pilgrims  at 
prayer,  on  a  more  level  part  of  the  ascent.  When  I  joined 
the  company  again,  which  was  on  the  summit,  I  found  them 
all  on  their  knees,  in  an  open  area  among  the  trees.  Their 
faces  were  toward  their  homes ;  and  their  leader  was  re- 
peating something  which  seemed  to  be  half-vow,  half-prayer. 
Suddenly  they  all  rose,  and  faced  in  the  contrary  direction  ; 
when,  kneeling  again,  they  repeated  their  devotions:  and 
then,  all  rising,  they  broke,  with  full,  strong  voices,  into  a 


74        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

hymn,  the  cadences  of  which  were  well  adapted  to  the  scene 
and  the  time.  In  double  file,  as  before,  and  still  singing, 
they  descended  the  hill  by  a  slope  more  gentle  than  on  the 
opposite  side ;  and,  at  the  bottom,  we  passed  a  large  stone, 
which  many  of  the  company  stepped  to,  and  kissed.  We 
came,  soon  after  this,  to  a  large  tavern,  which  the  pilgrims 
immediately  filled,  as  their  resting-place  for  the  night.  I 
went  on  to  another,  four  miles  distant;  but  which  I  found, 
on  arriving  there,  to  be  already  filled,  like  the  other ;  I  how- 
ever succeeded  there  in  getting  a  bed. 

On  the  morrow  I  joined  this  latter  party,  and  went  with 
them  towards  the  shrine.  At  the  expiration  of  a  couple  of 
hours,  a  bright  object,  like  a  gilded  sun  on  top  of  a  steeple, 
shone  among  the  trees;  and  now,  by  a  little  way-side  chapel, 
the  whole  company  stopped  for  formal  prayer.  Soon  after- 
wards we  reached  the  precincts  of  the  village,  Maria  Zell ; 
but  before  entering  it  my  companions  stepped  aside  to  make 
their  toilet  at  a  stream  crossing  the  road.  At  the  church  I 
found  many  others  advancing  on  their  knees  through  the 
court-yard  toward  the  shrine. 

We  may,  from  these  scenes,  have  probably  some  idea  of 
the  circumstances  attending  the  going  up  to  the  festivals  at 
Jerusalem,  in  those  ancient  times.  The  chief  difficulty  with 
the  German  pilgrims  was  in  finding  accommodations  for  the 
night :  but  in  those  southern  countries,  people,  when  at 
home,  often  sleep  from  choice  in  the  open  air.  The  simlah, 
wrapped  around  the  Jewish  travellers,  with  the  girdle  folded 
and  laid  on  a  stone  for  a  pillow,  \vas  all  that  was  needed  in 
that  climate.  Such  was  doubtless  the  night-rest  of  their 
Patriarch  Jacob,  when,  travelling  in  this  same  country,  he 
saw,  in  his  dream,  the  angels  ascending  and  descending;  and 
so,  in  the  morning  he  called  his  open-air  liostdrie,  where  the 
bright  stars  had  shone  down  upon  him,  and  heaven's  vault 
was  the  dome, — a  fit  place  for  dreaming  of  angels — Bethel, 
or  the  house  of  God. 


JEWISH  FESTIVALS.  75 

The  object  of  the  Jewish  festivals  was  "  to  perpetuate  the 
memory  of  great  events;  to  keep  them  firm  in  their  religion 
by  ceremonies  and  the  majesty  of  divine  service;  to  procure 
them  certain  pleasures,  and  allowable  times  of  rest;  and  to 
renew  the  acquaintances,  correspondence  and  friendship  of 
their  tribes  and  families,  which,  corning  from  distant  towns 
in  the  country,  met  three  times  a  year  in  the  holy  city."1 
The  periods  for  the  festivals  were:  for  the  Passover,  just 
when  the  harvest  was  ripening,  but  the  gathering  had  not 
yet  begun  ;  for  Pentecost,  fifty  days  after  this,  when  the  har- 
vesting had  been  finished  ;  for  the  feast  of  Tabernacles,  just 
before  seeding  time  had  commenced  : — periods,  consequently, 
when  time  among  agriculturists  could  very  well  be  spared : 
and  the  Jews  were  generally  cultivators  of  the  soil.  Then, 
as  regards  weather,  the  feast  of  Tabernacles  was  about  our 
15th  of  October,  before  the  rainy  season  had  set  in  :  Pente- 
cost was  at  a  time  when  not  a  cloud  is  ever  seen  in  Pales- 
tine, but  yet  prior  to  the  hot  season :  the  Passover  was  on 
the  14th  Nisan,  which  month  corresponded  to  the  latter  part 
of  our  March  and  beginning  of  April ;  and  at  the  14th 
Nisan  we  may  consider  the  weather  of  that  country  to  have 
recovered  from  the  wintry  storms,  and  to  have  become 
settled  and  clear;  for,  from  the  middle  of  April  to  the 
middle  of  September,  rains  and  thunders  are  there  little 
known. 

The  weather,  therefore,  for  these  journeys  we  may  believe 
to  have  been  clear,  but  not  warm,  and  favorable  for  travel- 
ling: the  time  could  easily  be  spared,  and  the  periods  came 
when  the  heart  was  open  for  rejoicing  and  thankfulness. 
We  may  easily  imagine  the  members  of  families,  male  and 
female,  including  the  children  fit  for  travel  (for  all  seem  to 
have  gone,  although  it  was  compulsory  only  on  the  adult 
males)  starting  together,  joining  other  families  from  their 


1  Calraet. 


76        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

neighborhood,  or  on  the  road  ; — cheerful,  happy  parties,  and 
all  the  happier  for  the  "pic-nic"  kind  of  living  on  the  way; 
making  the  journey  easy,  since  there  was  no  occasion  for 
hurrying,  and  they  were  subject  to  little  expense  on  the  road. 
The  morning  and  evening  and  other  occasional  devotions 
added  a  sacredness  to  the  day ;  and  the  cheerfulness  in  other 
incidents  of  the  journey  had  only  a  better  zest  from  this 
devotion.  Their  grand  and  noble  hymns — (and  time,  even 
to  our  day,  has  furnished  no  grander  or  more  sublime  hymn- 
ology) — were  chanted ;  and,  often  and  often,  the  full  tones, 
in  that  rich  Hebrew  language,  rose  in  sublime  anthems  in 
the  clear  air,  amid  the  very  regions  of  which  those  anthems 
spoke;  the  mountains  and  plains,  all  witnesses  of  God's 
miraculous  powers,  seeming  now  to  take  a  voice  and  to  join 
the  singers  in  the  great  anthems  of  praise.  The  cattle  in- 
tended for  the  coming  sacrifices  helped  to  carry  the  offerings 
of  the  first  fruits  or  other  burdens  of  the  travellers :  the 
horns  of  the  oxen  were  sometimes  gilded ; — trumpets  were 
blown  before  the  processions,  to  herald  joyfully  their  ad- 
vances towards  the  holy  city,  the  temple,  and  the  altars. 
The  children  had  with  them  their  pet  lamb  or  kid,  also 
decked  and  sporting  along,  unconscious  of  the  death  so 
closely  awaiting  it ;  and  resting  at  night  with  the  head  of 
the  child  nestled  against  it — the  animal  itself  still,  as  always 
before,  a  part  of  the  family  group.  It  was  to  be  the  coming 
sacrifice, — was  thus  a  part  of  their  religion  itself — was  to 
go  before  God  accepted  by  him,  from  and  for  them ;  and 
was  to  open  their  way  towards  paradise,  and  so  was  a  sacred 
object  even  in  its  sportiveness :  and  then  again,  the  children 
while  hanging  around  their  pet,  with  many  a  secret  grief 
at  the  near  final  parting,  were  told  of  Abraham,  leading 
even  his  favorite  son  for  sacrifice  at  the  same  Mount  Moriah 
to  which  they  were  travelling,  and  of  his  faith  which  they 
could  now  all  the  better  appreciate  from  the  trial  required 
of  themselves.  Thus  were  infused  into  their  young  hearts 


JEWISH  FESTIVALS.  77 

the  lessons  of  their  religion  by  practical  teachings  so  well 
understood  and  never  to  be  forgotten. 

But,  on  the  whole  journey,  apart  from  the  beauty  of  the 
scenery  amid  which  the  roads  were  laid,  there  were  to  all 
minds  and  hearts,  historic  lessons  of  strangest  character  and 
highest  interest.  If  we  suppose  the  festival  journey  to  be 
from  the  northern  part  of  Galilee,  we  see  the  travellers  soon 
on  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon,  vast  in  extent,  and  rich  in 
beauty,  on  which  rose  the  dome-shaped  Tabor,  with  a  town 
perched  on  its  fortified  heights.  But  the  interest  in  natural 
beauty  was  sure  to  be  mixed  with  grander  thoughts ;  for 
there,  on  Tabor,  had  their  countryman,  Barak,  ranged  his 
host  of  10,000  men,  while  Sisera,  with  his  immense  army, 
and  his  900  chariots  of  iron,  waited  to  engage  the  Israelites 
on  the  plain  below.  There  had  the  fearless  prophetess,  De- 
borah, without  whom  Barak  had  said  that  he  would  not  go 
down,  cried  out  to  him,  "  Up,  for  this  is  the  day :  is  not  the 
Lord  gone  out  before  thee?"  And  so  they  had  rushed 
down ;  and  the  whole  plain  was  soon  covered  with  the  flying 
enemy,  slaughtered  till  not  a  man  was  left,  except  Sisera, 
who  was  spared  to  be  slain  by  a  woman's  hand,  because  Barak 
had  doubted  God.  How  heartily,  as  the  travellers  passed 
on,  did  they  now  chant  Deborah's  song  of  victory,  "  Praise  ye 
the  Lord  for  the  avenging  of  Israel" — ending  with  "  So  let 
all  thine  enemies  perish,  O  Lord."1  Far  to  the  west  of  them 
now  rose  gradually  on  the  edge  of  the  plain  and  in  full 
view,  Carmel,  with  its  history  of  Ahab's  heathen  priests, 
gathered  there  by  order  of  Elijah; — the  altars  prepared 
there;  the  priests  cutting  their  own  flesh  in  frenzy,  and  call- 
ing on  their  gods  in  vain;  and  the  heavenly  lire,  at  Elijah's 
prayer,  descending  and  consuming  his  sacrifice,  and  licking 
up  the  water  in  the  trenches  around.  Soon  the  way  laid  by 
Jezreel,  with  its  story  of  Elijah's  hurried  arrival  there  with 


1  Judges  iv.  and 
7* 


78         LIFE-SCENES  FROM   THE   FOUR    GOSPELS. 

the  king,  after  the  prophets  of  Baal  had  been  slain  in  Ivi- 
shon,  on  the  western  side  of  Esdraelon;  and  of  the  windows 
of  heaven  then  opened  in  rain  ;  and  also  of  Jezebel's  fear- 
ful end  under  the  walls  of  Jezreel.1  On  their  left,  also,  lay 
Endor,  telling  of  Saul's  night  journey  thither  from  the 
neighboring  mountain  of  Gilboa,  where  his  army  lay  en- 
camped :  and  of  the  summons  to  the  spirit  of  Samuel,  and 
of  the  king's  heart-rending  ciy  to  the  dead  prophet,  "  God 
is  departed  from  me  and  heareth  me  no  more."2  Further  to 
the  east  they  could  see  the  isolated  hill  of  Scythopolis  (Beth- 
shean)  with  precipitous  sides,  and  a  castle  on  its  summit, 
against  the  walls  of  which  the  decapitated  body  of  Saul  had 
been  nailed  by  his  triumphant  foes.3  What  lessons  of  most 
powerful  interest  there  were  in  all  this  journey  to  their  fes- 
tivals !  Soon  now,  toward  the  southern  side  of  Esdraelon, 
they  passed  the  isolated  range  of  Gilboa,  1,300  feet  high, 
where  Saul  was  defeated  and  slain  :  and  here,  with  their 
chanting,  mingled  saddest  notes,  as  filled  with  the  memory 
of  the  great  slaughter  of  their  countrymen,  they  sang  the 
lament  of  David,  "  The  beauty  of  Israel  is  slain  upon  thy 
high  places:  how  are  the  mighty  fallen!  Tell  it  not  in 
Gath,  publish  it  not  in  the  streets  of  Askalon  ;  lest  the 
daughters  of  the  Philistines  rejoice,  lest  the  daughters  of  the 
uncircumcised  triumph.  Ye  mountains  of  Gilboa,  let  there 
be  no  dew,  neither  let  there  be  rain  upon  you,  nor  fields  of 
offerings;4  for  there  the  shield  of  the  mighty  is  vilely  cast 
away,  the  shield  of  Saul,  as  though  he  had  not  been  anointed 
with  oil.  How  are  the  mighty  fallen  in  the  midst  of  the 
battle  !"5 

Their  journey  might  lead  also  by  Sychem   and  Jacob's 
well ;  and  they  could  picture  the  patriarch  returned  once 


1  1  Kings  xviii. ;  2  Kings  ix.       2  1  Sam.  xxviii.         3  1  Samuel  xxxi. 
4  Gilboa  is  to  this  day  remarkable  for  its  barrenness. 
*  2  Samuel  i. 


JEWISH  FESTIVALS.  79 

more  to  his  native  land,  and  finding  here  for  a  while,  his 
home;  and  here,  too,  looking  upon  the  two  mountains,  Ebal 
and  Gerizim,  they  were  reminded  of  the  strange  scene  of 
blessing  and  cursing  in  the  ancient  times,  to  each  item  of 
which  all  Israel  gathered  there  said,  Amen. 

Shiloh  also  was  on  their  way,  with  its  mementos  of  the 
ark  resting  there  for  328  years :  and  of  Samuel  brought  up 
there :  and  of  the  sudden  death  of  Eli,  when  it  was  an- 
nounced to  him  that  his  countrymen  were  routed  in  battle, 
and  his  children  slain.  Then  they  passed  Bethel,  where 
Jacob  had  his  dream  of  the  angels ; — their  whole  journey 
from  home  to  Jerusalem  being  indeed,  through  regions 
where  history  took  to  them  a  living  and  speaking  form. 

Thus  in  prayer,  and  in  singing  their  grand  old  hymns, 
and  in  pleasant  intercourse  they  passed  on ;  until  at  last, 
having  reached  the  heights  of  Scopus,  they  paused  in  mute 
admiration  and  joyfulness:  and  then  they  broke  out  in 
shouts  of  loudest  praise:  for,  from  this  elevation,  they 
looked  down  over  a  wide  scene  of  beauty,  in  the  midst  of 
which  lay  "  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth,"  their  own  blest, 
sacred  city, — Jerusalem. 

On  the  road  the  crowds  had  thickened,  new  companies  all 
the  while  uniting ; — not  as  for  one  of  our  modern  gather- 
ings, but  for  a  deeply  sacred  and  yet  a  glad  purpose :  devo- 
tion and  joy  mingled  harmoniously  and  beamed  on  every 
face ;  old  associates  were  there  with  cordial  greetings ; 
friends  met  from  all  parts  of  Palestine  to  strengthen  the 
heart-bonds  already  formed. 

Of  the  feasts  of  Tabernacles  and  Passover  we  shall  have 
notices  in  a  future  part  of  this  work.  The  ceremonies  at 
Pentecost  were  brief,  and  we  give  them  here  as  a  suitable 
conclusion  to  this  part  of  our  subject.  The  word  Pentecost 
signifies  the  50th  :  and  was  used  because  this  feast  was  on 

o  * 

the  50th  day,  that  is,  the  expiration  of  seven  weeks  from 
the  second  day  of  the  Passover  feast.  The  object  of  it  was 


So        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

to  bring  the  Jews  to  acknowledge  in  the  sanctuary  at  this, 
the  ending  of  their  harvest,  the  dominion  of  God  over  the 
fruits  of  the  earth ;  and  also  to  thank  him  for  the  law  given 
on  Mount  Sinai,  on  the  fiftieth  day  after  their  coming  out 
from  Egypt.  Assembled  at  Jerusalem,  they  formed  into 
companies  of  twenty-four  persons  each,  to  carry  their  first- 
fruits  in  a  ceremonious  manner.  Each  company  was  preceded 
by  an  ox  appointed  to  be  sacrificed,  his  head  crowned  with  gar- 
lands of  olive  branches,  his  horns  sometimes  gilded,  a  player 
on  a  flute  preceding  him.  The  offering  of  first-fruits  con- 
sisted of  two  loaves  of  wheat  bread,  barley,  grapes,  figs, 
olives  and  dates.  Each  man  carried  his  basket,  and  the 
king  himself  was  not  exempt  from  this  act.  They  walked 
in  pomp  to  the  temple,  singing  hymns :  and  having  arrived 
there  before  the  priests,  the  Levites  sang  the  30th  Psalm. 
The  bearers  then  brought  their  baskets  before  the  priest, 
and  said : 

"A  Syrian  ready  to  perish  was  my  father;  and  he  went 
down  into  Egypt,  and  sojourned  there  with  a  few,  and  be- 
came there  a  nation,  great,  mighty  and  populous,"  &c. 
"And  now,  O  Lord,  I  have  brought  the  first-fruits  of  the 
land,  which  thou,  O  Lord,  hast  given  me."1 

They  placed  the  baskets  beside  the  altar,  and  after  pros- 
trating themselves,  were  free  then  for  the  social  enjoyments 
of  the  occasion. 

Such  was  the  nature  of  the  Jewish  institutions,  and  such 
their  legitimate  actions; — a  pleasing  spectacle  where  religion 
and  social  joy  were  combined,  and  each  helped  to  give  a  zest 
to  the  other;  and  where  all  life  was  made  grand  by  its 
intimate  relationship  to  God. 


1  Deut.  xxvi.  4-10 :  see  also  Numbers  xxviii.  26-31. 


THE  UNWRITTEN  WORD.  Si 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE  UNWRITTEN  WORD— THE  TALMUD  S,  <t-c. 

BUT,  over  this  fair  spectacle  of  ordinances  and  worship, 
and  over  the  Jewish  heart,  a  cloud  had  been  gradually 
drawn ;  and  it  was  every  day  darkening  more  and  more. 
It  came  from  the  substitution  of  forms  for  the  essence  of 
religion ;  from  assumptions  and  pride  in  their  leaders,  and 
the  hypocrisy  which  these  engender;  from  innovations  by 
the  Pharisees ;  and  especially  from  The  Unwritten  Wordj 
(oral  traditions)  of  which  the  Pharisees  were  the  authors ;  an 
instrument  which  it  will  be  readily  seen  must,  from  its 
mysterious  and  undefined  nature,  have  been  capable  of 
giving  immense  power  to  its  possessors.  The  Jewish 
history  of  this  very  singular  claimant  of  divine  authority  is 
thus  condensed  by  Isaac  Nordheimer  D.  P.,  Professor  of 
oriental  languages  in  the  University  of  New  York,  drawn 
by  him  from  the  writings  of  R.  Moses  Ben  Maimon, 
commonly  called  Maimonides,1  the  highest  authority  among 
the  Jews : 

"  All  the  laws  given  to  Moses  on  Mount  Sinai  were 
accompanied  by  their  interpretation;  as  it  is  written,  'I  will 
give  thee  tables  of  stone  and  the  law  and  the  commandments7 
(Ex.  xxiv.  12).  'The  law7  means  written  law,  and  'the 
commandments'  its  interpretation,  the  oral  law.  Although 
this  oral  law  was  not  preserved  in  writing,  Moses  taught  it 
all  to  the  Seventy  elders  composing  his  Beth-din  or  tribunal. 
Eleazer  the  priest,  Phineas  his  son,  and  Joshua,  were  like- 
wise instructed  by  Moses,  especially  the  latter,  who  was  his 


He  died  A.  D.  1205. 


82        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

own  immediate  disciple.  From  Joshua,  who  spent  his  whole 
life  in  teaching  it,  the  oral  law  was  transmitted  to  many  of 
the  elders  of  the  people;  and  from  them  and  Phineas  it 
was  received  by  Eli.  It  then  passed  successively,  through 
the  hands  of  Samuel  and  his  tribunal,  David  and  his 
tribunal,  Abijah  the  Shilonite  and  his  tribunal,  Elijah, 
Elisha,  Jehoiada  the  priest,  Zechariah,  Hosea,  &c.,  &c.,  [the 
whole  list  is  given  by  the  Jews]  to  Hillel.  E.  Gamaliel, 
his  son,  imparted  it  to  his  son  Simon,  from  whom  it  was 
received  by  his  son  Gamaliel,  [Saul's  teacher],  who  was 
followed  by  his  son,  Simon  the  3d.  After  him  came  his  son 
E.  Judah,  generally  called  'our  holy  Eabbi.'  This  E. 
Judah  compiled  the  Mislma.  From  the  death  of  Moses  to 
his  own  age,  no  book  had  been  composed  for  public  instruc- 
tion containing  the  oral  law;  but,  in  every  generation  the 
chief  of  the  tribunal,  or  the  prophet  who  lived  at  the  time, 
made  memoranda  of  what  he  had  heard  from  his  predeces- 
sors and  instructors,  and  communicated  it  orally  to  the 
people.  In  like  manner,  each  individual  committed  to 
writing  for  his  own  use,  and  according  to  the  degree  of  his 
ability,  the  oral  laws  and  information  he  had  received 
respecting  the  interpretation  of  the  Bible,  with  the  various 
decisions  which  had  been  pronounced  in  every  age  and 
sanctioned  by  the  authority  of  the  grand  tribunal." 

E.  Judah  had  become  fearful  that  these  traditions  might 
fall  into  oblivion,  and  thus,  A.  D.  160,  wrote  them  out, 
forming  the  Mislma  or  Second  Law,  as  above  described.  An 
edition  of  this  book  published  in  Amsterdam  1698-1703, 
is  in  six  volumes,  folio ;  and  the  vastness  of  the  work  shows 
us  not  only  how  difficult  (if  indeed  possible)  it  was  for  any 
memory  to  retain  it,  but  also  what  immense  means  it  afforded 
the  Eabbis,  by  its  very  vastness,  for  imposing  on  the  Jewish 
people,  coming  to  them  as  these  traditions  did,  as  the  word 
of  God.  Indeed,  the  oral  law,  at  a  very  early  time,  began 
to  claim  more  power  than  the  Written  Word  of  the  Penta- 


THE  UNWRITTEN  WORD.  83 

teuch.  Before  we  proceed  to  give  authority  for  this  assertion, 
we  must  speak  also  of  a  consequent  work,  the  Gemara,  (i.  e. 
completion],  called  so  because  in  this  book  the  oral  law  is 
supposed  to  be  completed,  or  fully  explained.  The  Gemaras 
contain  an  exposition  of  the  contents  of  the  Mishna,  and 
discussions  on  disputed  points  of  doctrine,  also  historical  and 
biographical  notices,  .legends,  disputations  on  astronomy  and 
sympathetic  medicine,  aphorisms,  apologues,  parables,  short 
and  pithy  sermons,  and  rules  of  ethics  and  of  practical  wisdom 
in  general.  There  are  two  Gemaras,  one  called  the  Jerusalem 
Gemara,  compiled  at  the  city  of  Tiberias,  about  seventy 
years  after  the  writing  out  of  the  Mishna,  (or  A.  D.  230). 
The  other,  the  Babylonian  Gemara,  was  prepared  a  few  years 
later:  this  latter,  as  published  in  Berlin  in  1715,  fills  12 
folio  volumes.  The  Mishna  and  Gemara  form,  together, 
what  is  called  the  Talmud,  or,  referring  to  the  two  Gemaras, 
"the  Talmtids,"  from  the  Hebrew  Lamad,  to  learn.  The 
Mishna  is  divided  into  six  portions  :  1,  on  seeds  and  agri- 
culture; 2,  festivals;  3,  women;  4,  laws  of  civil  life;  5, 
things  holy ;  and  6,  purifications.  Being  written  out  so 
soon  after  our  Saviour's  time,  it  may  be  considered  a  fair 
exhibition  of  the  excrescences  which  had  at  his  time  grown 
upon  the  Jewish  religion,  and  which  Christ  so  often  and  so 
severely  denounced.  The  Talmud,  as  respects  its  claims  to 
authority,  says :  u  The  written  law  is  narrow ;  but  the  tra- 
ditional is  longer  than  the  earth  and  broader  than  the  sea." 
"  The  words  of  the  scribes  are  lovely  above  the  words  of  the 
law ;  for  the  words  of  the  law  are  weighty  and  light,  but 
the  words  of  the  scribe  are  all  weighty."  "  The  Bible  is  like 
water;  the  Mishna  like  wine:  he  that  hath  learned  the 
Scripture,  and  not  the  Mishna,  is  a  blockhead." 

A  great  English  scholar,  Dr.  Lightfoot,  believing  that 
an  examination  of  these  books  might  afford  important  infor- 
mation respecting  those  earliest  times,  and  help  us  thus  in 
understanding  the  New  Testament,  gave  nearly  all  his  life 


84        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

to  this  subject ;  and  Christian  students  must  ever  feel  grate- 
ful to  him  for  an  undertaking  so  full  of  difficulties  and 
attended  with  so  much  that  was  utterly  wearisome  and  dis- 
gusting. He  says  in  his  own  quaint  language  respecting 
the  Talmuds  :  "  The  almost  unconquerable  difficulty  of  the 
style,  the  frightful  roughness  of  the  language,  and  the 
amazing  emptiness  and  sophistry  of  the  matters  handled,  do 
torture,  vex  and  tire  him  that  reads  them.  They  do  every- 
where abound  in  trifles,  in  that  manner  as  though  they  had 
no  mind  to  be  read ;  with  obscurities  and  difficulties,  as 
though  they  had  no  mind  to  be  understood :  so  that  the 
reader  hath  need  of  patience  all  along  to  enable  him  to  bear 
both  trifling  in  sense  and  roughness  in  expression." 

Speaking  again  of  the  representation  of  the  Supreme  Be- 
ing in  the  Talmud,  he  says:  "With  regard  to  this  funda- 
mental doctrine  of  all  religions,  we  must  forbear  to  quote 
what  would  be  offensive  to  the  pious  in  perusal.  Suffice  it 
to  say,  that  it  speaks  of  God  as  the  author  of  sin ;  as  need- 
ing atonement;  as  contracting  pollution;  as  inferior  to  the 
Rabbis  in  knowledge :  this,  and  more  horrible  blasphemies, 
are  of  common  occurrence." 

Surely  there  was  great  need  for  a  Divine  Teacher,  and  for 
a  Deliverer  to  appear  !  Quotations  from  these  books  will  be 
given  in  another  part  of  this  work. 

In  searching  for  the  origin  of  the  abuses  just  detailed,  we 
Lave  no  occasion  to  go  very  far ;  for  the  Scribes  and  Phari- 
sees, "  hypocrites,'7  as  the  Saviour  often  declared  them  to  be,1 
"  making  the  word  of  God  of  no  effect  through  your  tradi- 
tions, which  ye  have  believed/'2  readily  furnish  us  with  the 
clue  to  them  all. 

"Scribe  denotes  generally  any  man  learned,  and  is  opposed 
to  the  word  rude  or  clownish.  More  particularly  the  word 
Scribe  denotes  such  as  being  learned,  of  a  scholastic  educa- 


1  Matt.  xii.  13-33;  xv.  7.  fl  Mark  vii.  13. 


THE  UNWRITTEN  WORD.  85 

tion,  addicted  themselves  especially  to  handling  the  pen  and 
writing.  Such  were  the  public  notaries  in  the  Sanhedrim ; 
registrars  in  the  synagogues;  amanuenses,  who  employed 
themselves  in  transcribing  the  law,  phylacteries,  short  sen- 
tences to  be  fixed  upon  door-posts,  wills  of  contract,  divorces, 
&c.  But,  above  all,  the  fathers  of  the  traditions  were 
called  Scribes,  (who  were,  indeed,  elders  of  the  Sanhedrim), 
which  is  clear  enough  in  such  like  expressions,  '  The  words 
of  the  Scribes  are  more  lovely  than  the  words  of  the  law ;' 
i.  e.,  traditions  are  better  than  the  written  law.  i  Scribes  of 
the  people'  were  those  elders  of  the  Sanhedrim  who  were  not 
sprung  from  the  sacerdotal  or  Levitical  stock,  but  from  the 
other  tribes :  the  elders  of  the  Sanhedrim,  sprung  from  the 
blood  of  the  priests,  were  the  scribes  of  the  clergy ;  the  rest 
were  scribes  of  the  people." 1 

The  Pharisees,  called  so  from  the  Hebrew  word  Pharash9 
signifying  to  separate,  have  been  noticed  in  a  previous  chap- 
ter ;  and  it  is  necessary  to  mention  them  here  only  as  com- 
ing before  us  in  history  about  the  time  when  we  have  the 
first  distinct  notices  of  the  traditional  law.  They  and  the 
Scribes  were  its  conservators,  and  doubtless  also  its  origina- 
tors. That  all  the  Pharisees  were  wicked  men  is  not  to  be 
supposed  ;  for  we  have  record  of  individuals  of  probity  be- 
longing to  this  sect ;  but  these  were  the  few  exceptions,  and 
the  character  of  the  rest  is  emblazoned  in  our  Saviour's  pub- 
lic denunciations  of  them,  the  truth  of  which  they  did  not 
dare  to  deny.  It  is  not  wonderful  that  such  men,  vainglo- 
rious and  haughty,  ambitious,  overbearing  and  hypocritical, 
should  persistently  oppose  the  Saviour,  and  that  he  should 
so  constantly  warn  the  people  against  them  and  their  works. 

There  was  another  sect  among  the  Jews  called  the  Essenes, 
a  quiet  people,  living  by  themselves,  and  almost  entirely  cul- 
tivators of  the  soil.  Josephus  speaks  of  them  as  only  4000 


JLiirlitfoot 


86       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

in  number,  and  says,  "They  are  Jews  by  birth,  and  seem  to 
have  a  greater  affection  one  for  another  than  the  other  sects 
have.  These  Essenes  reject  pleasures  as  an  evil,  but  esteem 
continence  and  the  conquest  over  our  passions  to  be  virtue. 
They  reject  wedlock,  but  choose  out  other  persons'  children 
while  they  are  pliable  and  fit  for  learning,  and  esteem  them 
to  be  of  their  kindred,  and  form  them  according  to  their 
own  manners."1  In  another  part  of  his  book,  however,  he 
intimates  that  some  of  them  married,  and  that  they  were 
more  numerous  than  as  above  described :  but  they  do  not 
seem  to  have  exercised,  or  cared  to  exercise,  any  great  influ- 
ence in  national  affairs. 

Another  Jewish  sect,  the  Herodians,  were,  however  ambi- 
tious of  such  power,  and  stood  boldly  forward  not  only  as 
the  advocates  of  the  Roman  government,  but  also  of  princi- 
ples corrupting  their  countrymen.  They  took  their  name 
apparently  from  Herod  the  Great,  and  seem  to  have  drawn 
their  sentiments  from  him,  namely :  1st,  That  the  dominion 
of  the  Romans  over  the  Jews  was  just,  and  that  it  was  their 
duty  to  submit ;  and  2d,  That  in  the  present  circumstances, 
they  might  with  a  good  conscience  follow  many  of  the 
heathen  modes  and  usages.2  Twice  the  Pharisees  combined 
with  them  in  attempts  to  entrap  and  destroy  the  Messiah ; 
and  no  further  proof  can  be  needed  of  the  bitter  hostility 
toward  him  by  the  former  sect  than  their  union  thus  with 
men  whose  avowed  principles  in  national  affairs  were  so 
utterly  hostile  to  their  own. 

We  have  now,  through  these  preliminary  remarks  a  view 
of  the  surface  of  Jewish  society,  and  of  some  of  its  internal 
workings ;  but  after  all  there  was  a  deep  under-current  of 
feeling  and  belief  which  we  have  not  reached,  and  cannot 
reach.  The  power  of  the  insolent  Pharisee  over  the  masses 
was  tremendous,  backed  as  it  was  by  the  traditional  law 


1  De  bel.  ii.  8,  \  2.  Prideanx— see  Calmet. 


THE  UNWRITTEN  WORD.  87 

claiming  to  be  that  of  God,  and  which  they  might  change 
into  any  form  which  seemed  expedient :  yet  the  people  were 
ever  ready  to  break  from  them,  and  the  rulers  were  ever 
fearful  of  such  revolt  by  their  followers.  We  may  know 
from  this,  that  in  the  Jewish  heart  was  a  broad  substratum 
of  right  feeling,  which  no  Pharisaic  cunning  could  destroy. 
While  the  Pharisees  and  the  Sadducees  and  Scribes  and 
Doctors,  looked  coldly  on  Christ,  or  sneered,  or  tried  to  de- 
stroy him,  the  people  heard  him  gladly,  followed  him  with 
admiration,  wanted  to  make  him  a  king;  and  more  than 
once  set  their  old  doctrinal  masters  at  defiance  in  their  love 
to  Christ,  and  their  joy  as  they  followed  in  his  train.  Where 
the  general  heart  was  so  moved  by  him,  there  must  have  been 
much  good  and  right  feeling  in  it,  notwithstanding  the  cor- 
rupting influences  which  their  leaders  had  long  and  hypo- 
critically exercised  over  the  land. 

The  Jews  had  never  been  a  popular  people  among  other 
nations,  and  they  could  not  be.  Exclusive,  antagonistic  to 
all  other  religions;  repelling  all  intercourse  as  adapted  to 
bring  heathenism  among  them;  believing  themselves  to  be  a 
nation  chosen  of  God  from  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth, 
and  favored  of  Him,  they  shut  their  hearts  against  all  other 
people  in  that  adversus  omnes  olios  hostile  odium,  hatred 
amounting  to  hostility  against  all  others,  described  by  Tacitus 
(Hist.  Lib.  v.  5),  and  were  regarded  by  ether  nations  in 
return  with  hatred  mixed  with,  con  tempt.  "Credat  Judeus" 
— let  a  Jew  believe  it,  expresses  Horace's  contemptuous  opin- 
ion of  their  credulity.  Their  literature,  even  their  poetry, 
was  scarcely  known  beyond  themselves;  yet  their  poetry  was 
the  most  sublime  extant,  and  even  to  our  day  it  has  not  been 
excelled.  Their  prophetical  writing  rises  to  a  grandeur  of 
sentiment  and  language  without  a  parallel;  and  the  father 
of  Grecian  critics  on  style,  Longinus,  quotes  the  opening  of 
the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  as  the  highest  known  specimen 
of  the  sublime.  While  Pharisaism  and  the  heavy  curse  of 


88        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

the  traditional  religion  were  like  a  crushing  weight  upon  the 
land,  there  must  have  been  a  mighty  power  in  the  original 
Jewish  faith  to  keep  religion  alive  at  all  under  such  a 
malign  influence.  Alive  it  was;  and  now  springing  up  once 
more  with  vigor  at  that  cry  from  the  Jordan,  "the  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  at  hand,"  with  the  subsequent  declaration, 
"  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of 
the  world." 


CHAPTER  IX. 
PRESENT  JEWISH  VIEW  OF  THAT  PERIOD. 

THESE  preliminaries  in  the  last  three  chapters  will  en- 
able us  to  take  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  circum- 
stances attending  the  public  ministry  of  Christ:  but  the 
reader  would  probably  be  gratified  by  seeing  what  are  the 
present  Jewish  views  of  those  times  and  circumstances.  We 
therefore  make  extracts  from  a  recent  work,  "A  general 
history  of  the  Jews,"  by  one  of  their  own  people,  Jost; 
considered  by  them  as  the  most  profound  historian  of  the 
age.  It  was  written  in  German,  and  portions  have  been 
translated  by  Rev.  James  Murdaugh,  D.  D. ;  from  which  we 
make  our  quotation.  Its  deeply  interesting  character  will 
render  unnecessary  any  apology  for  its  length,  or  for  insert- 
ing it  here  in  the  text  instead  of  in  a  note. 

Jost  says : 

"Herod  the  Great  tore  in  pieces  all  the  framework  of 
society,  and  gave  it  a  new  construction.  Under  him  the 
people  so  visibly  lost  their  national  peculiarities,  that  they 
seemed  ready  to  become  extinct.  Trodden  down  and  op- 


PRESENT  JEWISH  VIEW.  89 

pressed  by  a  tyrannical  government,  they  turned  their  eyes 
towards  the  Holy  Scriptures  and  their  law,  for  comfort  and 
consolation.  They  acknowledged  themselves  justly  punished 
for  their  backsliding;  and  although  the  sanctuary  and  the 
sacrifices  continued,  yet  every  one  could  see  that  a  priesthood 
which  the  king  conferred  on  whom  he  pleased,  and  of  whose 
incumbents  he  had  deposed  four  and  slain  two,  and  a  sanc- 
tuary which  the  king  beautified  merely  as  a  permanent 
temple,  the  sanctity  of  which  he  was  no  way  concerned  to 
maintain,  could  by  no  means  satisfy  the  requisitions  of  God's 
government,  and  of  the  Judaism  resulting  from  it.  Besides, 
the  national  tribunals  were  disregarded,  and  the  king  alone 
enacted  laws  and  appointed  tribunals  on  every  occasion, 
according  to  his  pleasure.  The  people  had  no  protection, 
and  they  were  harassed  with  acts  of  individual  violence ; 
some  were  carried  away  by  ambition,  others  by  self-interest; 
some  acted  from  compulsion,  others  from  bigotry  and 
hypocrisy.  What  would  be  the  result  of  such  a  state  of 
things,  was  a  question  which  interested  every  friend  of  the 
public  weal;  and  it  was  answered  variously.  One  party 
adhered  to  the  doctrine  of  Judaism,  and  looked  for  deliver- 
ance by  a  regent  of  the  house  of  David  ;  another  party  were 
for  waging  war  with  everything  of  a  foreign  character;  and 
a  third  party  declared  the  kingdom  of  God  to  be  at  hand, 
in  the  way  of  a  general  repentance  and  reformation. 

"1.  The  first  party  connected  themselves  with  the  doctors 
of  the  law,  and  adhered  to  their  schools.  At  the  head  of 
these  schools,  during  the  whole  reign  of  Herod,  stood  two 
men  entirely  disconnected  with  political  life,  who  devoted 
their  time  to  the  study  and  exposition  of  the  doctrines  of 
the  law;  namely,  Hillel  of  Babylonia,  renowned  for  the 
mildness  of  his  disposition,  his  kindness  and  calmness,  and 
Shammai,  a  man  bold,  vehement  and  decisive.  Both  were 
distinguished  for  learning,  and  both  framed  systems  of 
Judaism,  though  they  frequently  clashed  in  regard  to  their 

8  * 


90        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

legal  conclusions  on  particular  points.  And  hence  their 
schools  were  afterwards  opposed  to  each  other,  and  were 
characterized,  that  of  Hillel  for  adhering  more  to  the  sense 
and  import  of  Scripture,  and  that  of  Shammai  for  a  rigid 
adherence  to  the  letter.  Both  of  these  men  mingled  so  little 
in  the  transactions  of  their  times,  that  they  became  mythical 
personages.  Only  some  particular  sayings,  characteristic  of 
each,  have  come  down  to  us.  Thus  Hillel  inculcated  as  the 
fundamental  principle  of  Judaism  this  maxim:  Love  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself.  On  the  necessity  of  an  early  prosecution 
of  knowledge,  with  his  accustomed  brevity,  he  said :  Unless 
I  for  myself,  who  will  ?  If  I  only  for  myself  what  do  I  be- 
come? If  not  now,  then  when?  On  the  nothingness  of  the 
world,  compared  with  spiritual  life,  he  said :  The  more  flesh, 
the  more  worms;  the  more  wealth,  the  more  care;  the  more 
wives,  the  more  poisoning ;  the  more  maid-servants,  the  more 
unchastity  ;  the  more  men-servants,  the  more  thieving, — but  the 
more  knowledge,  the  more  life;  the  more  reflection,  the  more 
intelligence;  the  more  benevolence,  the  more  union.  Gaining 
a  good  name  is  a  good  thing  ;  but  a  knowledge  of  the  law  pro- 
cures immortality.  Respecting  union  he  said :  Separate  not 
yourselves  from  the  many.  Do  not  account  yourself  safe  until 
your  dying  day :  and  judge  not  your  neighbor  until  you  stand  in 
his  place.  From  Shammai  we  have  only  a  few  sayings. 
Make  the  study  of  the  law  the  business  of  your  life.  Say  little 
and  do  much.  Be  beforehand  with  every  one.  Yet  the  virtues 
of  the  man  are  particularly  eulogized.  By  the  influence  of 
these  two  men,  Rabbinism,  or  the  authoritativeness  of  the 
teachers  of  the  law,  became  predominant;  Sadduceeism  was 
nearly  extinguished,  and  the  interest  of  students  in  the  ap- 
plication of  the  doctrines  and  precepts  of  the  law  to  human 
conduct  was  amazingly  shackled.  By  the  Rabbis  of  after 
ages,  Hillel  was  honored  as  being  next  to  Ezra,  the  restorer 
of  the  law.  (Succa  J,  end).  To  him  in  particular,  has 
been  ascribed  the  distribution  of  the  whole  law  into  six 


PRESENT  JE  WISH  VIE  W.  91 

parts:  1,  of  seeds;  2,  of  women;  3,  of  festivals;  4,  of 
possessions  and  property ;  5,  of  sacred  things ;  6,  of  things 
clean  and  unclean  ;  a  distribution  which  has  been  perma- 
nently maintained.  Under  these  six  titles  are  arranged  all 
that  Judaism  teaches  respecting  the  law;  and  the  whole, 
collectively,  has  since  been  called  MISHNA,  (Deuterosis)  or 
the  second  rescension  of  the  law.  Yet  all  instruction  was, 
at  that  time,  given  orally.  Hence,  though  many  persons 
understood  the  law,  yet  there  were  few  who  had  talents  for 
teaching.  Possibly  the  Semicha,  or  the  consecration  of 
public  teachers  by  the  imposition  of  hands,  which  their 
principal  doctors  practiced,  originated  in  this  period.  For 
not  long  afterwards  the  learned  were  always  called  Rabbis; 
which  word  became  a  title,  and  was  an  object  of  ambition. 
The  introduction  of  such  a  mode  of  investiture  greatly 
increased  the  power  of  the  Rabbis,  or  rather  established  il 
on  a  firm  basis.  Rabbinism  directed  its  aims  against  pagan- 
ism, and  the  dominion  of  the  senses  in  common  people.  To 
all  who  intrenched  themselves  in  this  bulwark,  the  civil 
government  became  a  matter  of  indifference,  because  it  did 
not  secure  the  proper  object.  From  that  period,  the  adhe- 
rents to  Rabbinism  have  had  a  world  of  their  own  in  which 
they  lived  and  for  which  they  died.  We  may  also  remark 
that  the  Rabbis  for  a  number  of  centuries  continued  their 
labors  to  bring  Judaism  to  perfection.  The  men  who  took 
the  lead  in  the  work  set  out  with  a  very  good  idea,  namely, 
to  give  to  Judaism  an  enduring  shell  or  covering  that  should 
defend  it  against  all  the  storms  to  which  it  might  be  exposed. 
But  many  of  their  followers  embraced  only  the  shell,  and 
sought  for  salvation  in  outward  observances,  in  much  prayer 
and  fasting,  in  strenuously  combating  the  slightest  deviation 
from  very  trivial  prescriptions ;  and  thus,  either  they  were 
altogether  in  error  respecting  the  kernel  of  doctrine,  or  they 
put  on  an  apparent  sanctity  as  a  cloak  to  conceal  their  moral 


92       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

conduct.     The  majority  were  enthusiasts  in  the  proper  sense 
of  the  term,  and  lived  only  in  an  ideal  world. 

"  2.  On  the  other  hand,  there  was  at  that  time  a  large 
party  who  contemplated  a  full  restoration  of  the  Jewish 
commonwealth,  and  who  overrated  their  own  power. 

******** 
*  *  ##  #  #.#  # 

"  3.  A  third  party  was  actuated  by  totally  different  views. 
In  the  interpretation  put  upon  the  law  by  the  first  party, 
they  could  see  only  a  tissue  of  external  sanctity ;  and  in  the 
zeal  of  the  second  party,  only  a  useless  effort  that  must  draw 
after  it  the  loss  of  what  little  union  remained  in  Judea.  Far 
from  both,  many,  especially  among  the  more  plain  common 
people  who  had  no  thirst  for  distinction,  and  no  solicitude 
to  maintain  the  fallen  commonwealth,  hoped  for  deliverance 
from  the  fluctuating  state  of  things,  and  particularly  from 
the  evils  of  immorality,  in  accordance  with  the  generally 
proclaimed  oracles  of  the  prophets.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  this  expectation  of  a  kingdom  of  God  which  should 
arise  out  of  Judaism,  and  be  a  very  different  thing  from 
what  others  anticipated,  was  very  prevalent,  especially 
among  the  later  Essenes.  They  preferred  a  still  and  quiet 
life  of  devotion,  and  served  the  public  chiefly  as  peaceful 
counsellors,  and  revered  wise  men.  The  spirit  alone,  the 
divine,  the  all-subduing  spirit,  could  put  an  end  to  their 
calamities ;  burst  the  fetters  of  the  law  on  the  one  hand,  and 
of  worldly-mi ndedness  on  the  other,  and  by  his  truth,  bring 
not  only  the  Jews,  but  all  the  Gentile  world,  to  an  internal 
tranquillity;  which  their  religions,  in  combination  with 
worldly  power  or  oppression,  could  not  secure.  These  views 
more  or  less  matured,  pervaded  and  animated  a  very  con- 
siderable number  of  Jews,  who  waited  only  for  the  mani- 
festation of  God,  in  order  to  see  the  work  of  redemption  in 
successful  operation.  Their  aspirations  for  it  increased  as 
the  calamities  multiplied. 


PRESENT  JE  WISH  VIE  W.  93 


"Recognizing  the  sinfulness  of  men  by  nature  as  a  funda- 
mental principle,  the  Jews  anxiously  desired  to  find  an 
atonement  for  sin.  This  was  symbolized  by  sacrifices  and 
by  baptism.  John,  surnamed  the  Baptist,  born  a  little  prior 
to  Jesus,  and  also  destined  to  a  high  calling,  travelled  up 
and  down  the  wilderness  like  the  ancient  prophets,  proclaim- 
ing, <  The  kingdom  of  heaven  draws  near/  Kindly  greet- 
ing all  who  resorted  to  him,  he  baptized  many  in  the  Jordan, 
and  preached  repentance  as  a  preparation  for  the  coming  of 
Christ;  whom  moreover,  he  recognized  in  the  person  of 
Jesus  of  Nazareth.  Jesus,  also  honoring  the  national  custom, 
received  consecration  from  him.  Exciting  high  expectations 
in  his  childhood,  and  astonishing  people  by  his  wisdom  in 
discourse  with  the  doctors  of  the  law  when  twelve  years  old, 
he  at  the  age  of  about  thirty,  entered  on  his  course  as  a  pub- 
lic teacher.  In  Galilee  his  discourses  had  an  overpowering 
influence  ;  and  soon  his  triumphant  superiority  in  reasoning 
with  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  in  their  own  way,  pro- 
cured him  general  esteem  and  veneration.  The  mentally 
diseased  often  from  mere  internal  conflicts  exposed  to  exqui- 
site pain,  found  relief  by  him ;  and  other  sufferings  he  was 
able  to  alleviate  by  his  healing  word.  After  various  mira- 
cles which  were  beheld  with  amazement,  but  which  did  not 
so  penetrate  the  soul  as  did  his  instructions,  Jesus  announced 
his  vocation  as  the  Christ,  the  Anointed  One,  the  Saviour 
of  the  world,  the  Son  of  God,  and  in  general  as  the  person 
foretold  by  the  prophets  under  various  attributes ;  and  of 
course  also  as  a  king,  yet  not  over  an  earthly  realm,  but 
over  the  spiritual  world  which  was  to  be  new  created.  His 
friends  who  were  in  some  uncertainty  respecting  his  mys- 
terious character,  were  at  length  brought  gradually  to  the 
conviction  that  he  was  the  Deity  himself,  manifested  in  a 
human  form.  The  Pharisees  who  were  advocates  of  the 
enlarged  oral  law,  and  especially  of  the  expected  glorious 


94        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

appearing  at  some  time  of  a  restorer  of  the  commonwealth, 
saw  in  his  denial  of  the  holiness  and  atoning  efficacy  of  cer- 
tain precepts  of  the  law,  and  in  the  announcement  of  hie 
grand  position,  that  redemption  is  to  be  sought  for  in  a  reno- 
vation of  the  soul,  an  entire  prostration  of  their  own  system 
of  doctrine.  Although  no  one  of  the  renowned  doctors  of 
Judaism  encountered  him  in  debate,  yet  he  had  to  answer  a 
great  many  captious  questions,  and  often  to  hear  his  doc- 
trine branded  as  heresy.  This  occurred  especially  at  Jeru- 
salem, where  his  adversaries  took  occasion  from  certain 
expressions,  to  accuse  him  of  treason  which  the  civil  rela- 
tions of  the  country  easily  offered  the  means  of  doing.  A 
Sanhedrim  assembled  under  the  Romish  governor  Pontius 
Pilate,  found  him  guilty ;  and  Pilate,  contrary  to  his  own 
convictions,  yielding  to  the  urgency  of  the  excited  people, 
ordered  him  to  be  crucified.  But  the  execution  of  the  San- 
hedrim's sentence  had  an  effect  very  different  from  that  con- 
templated. The  headlong  procedure  in  disregard  of  the 
usual  forms  of  justice,  strengthened  and  united  his  followers. 
They  saw  in  the  transaction  not  merely  the  execution  of  an 
innocent  person,  but  a  conspiracy  against  the  Deity  with 
which  he  was  filled,  and  by  whose  spirit  actuated,  he  for  the 
salvation  of  all,  gave  up  his  body  to  torture  and  contumely. 
From  the  period  of  Christ's  crucifixion,  his  followers  ceased 
to  be  Jews,  and  of  course  pass  out  of  the  province  of  our 
history  into  that  of  the  church  of  Christ.  The  Jews  them- 
selves did  not  at  the  time  view  this  transaction  so  important 
as  they  must  afterwards  have  found  it  to  be." 


THE  DISCIPLES   CALLED.  95 


CHAPTER  X. 
AT  THE  JORDAN— DISCIPLES   CALLED. 

WAS  this  the  Christ  ?  The  multitudes  around  John  in 
their  scrutinizing,  earnest,  anxious  mood,  might  well 
be  astonished  while  looking  at  him,  just  proclaimed  to  be 
The  Son  of  God ;  who  was  to  baptize  with  the  Holy  Ghost ; 
whose  shoe's  latchet  the  Baptist  had  declared  himself  not 
worthy  to  unloose.  The  admiration  of  the  throngs  toward 
John  had  increased  to  the  highest  degree  as  the  strange 
ascetic  had  stood  before  them,  day  after  day,  so  earnest  in 
manner  and  so  bold  in  his  denunciations ;  a  revivification, 
apparently,  of  their  long  dead,  best  beloved  prophet;  his 
appearance  itself  captivating  their  fancy  and  awakening  en- 
thusiasm, while  the  rite  he  was  administering  was,  alone, 
a  proclamation  of  wonderful  revolutions  to  come.  But  was 
this  the  Christ  ?  For  he  to  whom  John  pointed  was  a  sim- 
ple personage,  in  ordinary  costume :  one  like  themselves,  ex- 
cept that  grandeur  of  expression  in  face,  and  that  dignity 
combined  with  simplicity  and  unassumingness  of  manner, 
which  always  belong  to  true  greatness  even  in  men.  Here 
they  produced  a  Presence  which  was  indeed  felt.  But  yet, 
with  their  expectations  of  worldly  glory  and  honor  and 
pomp  in  the  Messiah,  the  crowds  shrank  from  believ- 
ing. "  Was  this  he,"  they  thought,  "  who  was  to  rescue  them 
from  the  Roman  dominion,  and  to  build  up  a  mightier 
earthly  kingdom  than  any  one  ever  yet  known  ;  to  flash  over 
all  the  world  his  own  glory  and  that  of  the  Jewish  name?" 
Greatly  agitated  they  gazed,  wondered,  argued,  doubted. 
Many  a  person  has  done  the  same  ever  since  respecting  thia 
Christ.  The  human  mind  is  dazzled  by  displays  of  outward 


OF 


96        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

glory,  and  desires  them  as  the  immediate  foundation  for  its 
reverence.  Men  require  a  mixture  of  awe  for  their  devotion. 
Had  Christ  come  in  pomp  and  majesty,  with  the  retinues  of 
the  great  men  of  earth,  there  is  many  a  heart  at  present 
dcfibting  or  repellant  that  would  gladly  open  to  receive  him, 
But  surely,  so  received,  the  heart  could  never  feel  him  as  ii 
does  now.  He  was  to  be  the  Teacher  and  the  Example  as 
well  as  the  Redeemer,  and  where,  if  such  earthly  pomp  and 
circumstance  had  been  around  him,  where  could  ever  have 
been  the  force  of  such  a  sermon  as  that  on  the  Mount,  or  of 
his  parables,  or  of  his  injunctions  respecting  humility  in  soul 
and  action,  or  indeed  of  all  his  great  teachings  felt  now  to 
be  the  life  of  the  world  ?  where  the  power  of  his  example, 
before  which  every  human  heart  now  bows  down  in  rever- 
ence, though  it  may  not  imitate?  where  that  blessedness  of 
fellowship  recognized  in  him  by  the  lowly  in  life?  how  could 
any  of  this  have  been,  if  he  had  come  amid  exaltations  and 
had  so  dwelt  on  the  earth? 

He  knew  all  this,  and  so  he  came,  not  only  as  man,  but  as 
man  in  humility  and  in  commonness  among  men :  bat  yet, 
with  the  consciousness  which  he  carried  within  him,  what 
an  impressiveness  of  internal  power  and  grandeur  there  was 
to  be  recognized,  on  observation,  as  he  appeared  there  among 
the  astounded  crowds  about  John ; — astounded  by  the  seeming 
contradictions,  such  lowliness  yet  such  greatness  claimed 
for  him  by  the  Baptist  and  through  John  by  heaven  itself. 
They  were  amazed  and  confounded ;  they  reasoned,  doubted ; 
yielded  willingly  to  doubts,  for  they  clung  to  the  old  expec- 
tation of  coming  Jewish  earthly  grandeur,  unwilling  to  let 
it  go. 

On  the  following  day,  while  two  of  John's  disciples  were 
standing  near  by,  Jesus  came  in  sight,  and  the  Baptist's  face 
again  took  the  glow  of  inspiration,  as  he  cried : 

"Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  !" 

The  two  disciples,  how  they  were  thrilled  by  the  words ! 


THE  DISCIPLES    CALLED.  97 

What  a  flashing  of  brightest  thought  in  their  minds !  What 
a  glory  of  hope !  Could  it  be  ?  John  had  said  it.  They 
left  their  former  master  to  follow  the  new.  Christ  turned 
to  them : — 

"What  seek  ye ?" 

"  Rabbi,  where  dwellest  thou  ?"  they  said,  apparently  con- 
founded by  their  having  no  ready  answer  to  his  sudden 
question. 

"Come  and  see,"  was  his  reply;  and  they  went  to  see 
how  humble  indeed  was  his  place,  and  how  unpromising  as 
to  earthly  comforts  was  to  be  any  discipleship  to  him. 

They  were  the  first  followers  of  Jesus.  One  was  Andrew, 
the  other  is  unnamed,  but  was  doubtless  John,  a  man  blest 
with  a  true  and  affectionate  nature ;  one  who  could,  most  of 
all  the  men  with  whom  Christ  came  in  contact,  appreciate 
the  greatness  of  the  love  of  Jesus  for  our  race,  and  who  was 
the  most  beloved  in  return.  The  record  of  this  incident  is 
from  him,  and  in  his  modesty  he  has  refrained  from  naming 
himself  as  of  the  first  to  join  his  Lord.  The  two  remained 
with  the  Messiah  through  the  day. 

On  the  morrow  Andrew,  stimulated  by  the  power  of  his 
new  convictions,  restless  under  them  and  deeply  earnest, 
searched  for  a  brother  then  at  Bethabara,  a  man  quick, 
ardent,  sympathetic  and  impulsive,  often  uncertain  yet  always 
with  a  readiness  to  drop  error  when  seen  and  catch  at  truth, 
and  to  acknowledge  and  grieve  for  error ;  in  short,  one  of  that 
class  whose  firmness  of  fidelity  we  cannot  always  trust,  yet 
who  always  win  on  us  and  whom  we  admire  and  like  in  spite 
of  their  weaknesses  and  faults.  It  was  Peter;  and  Andrew 
on  finding  him  cried  with  joy : 

"  We  have  found  the  Messiah  !" 

The  brother  came  promptly,  for  the  cry  met  with  quick 
sympathies  in  his  sensitive  nature — came,  gazed,  took  in  the 
force  of  the  wonderful  Presence  there  was  in  Christ,  and  was 
addressed  by  him : 


98        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

"  Thou  art  Simon  the  son  of  Jona  :  thou  shalt  be  called 
Cephas,"  l  (Kephas)  ;  the  Messiah,  as  he  said  this,  probably 
pointing  to  an  adjoining  cliff  or  high  rock  as  an  intimation 
of  the  future  prominence  of  this  disciple  in  the  church. 

Another  night  was  passed  at  Bethabara,  such  a  night  as 
people  have  who  in  the  dim  light  spend  their  time  in  sur- 
misings  and  agitations  about  subjects  of  great  national  and 
individual  welfare;  for  there  were  many  reasonings  and 
doubts  and  fears  and  hopes  among  this  emotional  people, 
about  John's  declarations,  and  about  John,  and  especially 
about  him  upon  whom  the  Baptist  had  now  concentrated 
the  attention  of  all. 

On  the  morrow  Christ  thought  it  best  to  leave  this  re- 
gion for  Galilee  ;  but  before  going  he  called  another  indi- 
vidual to  be  his  disciple,  Philip  of  Bethsaida,  a  town  just 
beyond  the  northern  end  of  the  lake  of  Galilee,  and  the 
residence  also  of  Andrew  and  Peter.  To  Philip  he  simply 
addressed  the  words, 

"Follow  me;"  and  the  injunction  was  promptly  obeyed. 

There  was  authority  in  the  voice,  mixed  with  all  tender- 


1  The  Aramaic  Nfi^o,  (Kepha),  the  language  used  on  this  occasion,  is 
from  the  Hebrew  Keph,  *p,  and  the  use  of  the  latter  may  help  us  to  the 
true  significance  of  the  name  given  to  Peter.  The  author,  after  careful  and 
thorough  examination,  can  find  this  word  used  but  twice  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, both  times  in  its  plural  form,  D^fi3,  (Kephim),  Job  xxx.  6,  literally, 
"To  inhabit  the  caves  of  the  earth  and  the  rocks;"  Jer.iv.  19,  literally,  "They 
shall  go  into  thickets  and  into  rocks  /"  each  instance  evidently  indicating 
a  cliff  or  prominent  rock  :  the  Greek,  irtrpa,  (Matt.  xvi.  18),  also  means 
rock.  Commentators  suppose  that  "  stability"  and  "  firmness"  are  here  in- 
dicated as  the  qualities  of  Peter,  to  be  his  characteristics  after  the  descent 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  day  of  Pentecost:  but  we  know,  (Gal.  ii.  12-14), 
that  he  was  not  stable  subsequently  to  that  event.  As  Christ  was  accus- 
tomed to  seize  upon  objects  in  nature  for  his  elucidations,  if  we  will  sup- 
pose him  on  this  occasion  to  have  pointed  to  a  cliff  or  high  rock  of  which 
there  was  abundance  at  the  Jordan  valley,  and  to  have  intimated  by  this 
word  that  Peter  should  have  a  similar  prominence  among  the  Apostles, 
the  expression  becomes  very  significant  and  adapted  to  the  occasion,  aa 
well  as  strikingly  prophetic. 


THE  DISCIPLES    CALLED.  99 

ness  and  kindness;  and  Philip  felt  it:  nor  could  he  have 
been  a  stranger  to  what  had  previously  occurred.  A  new 
joy  filled  him  as  he  opened  his  heart  to  the  power  of  his 
convictions,  and  to  the  glory  of  being  the  follower  of  such 
a  master,  privileged  to  be  near  to  Christ,  to  see  him  and  hear 
him,  and  to  be  distinguished  by  him :  but  the  joy  of  Philip 
was  quickly  subject  to  a  check. 

There  was  among  the  throngs  at  the  Jordan  a  man,  Na- 
thaniel by  name,  belonging  to  Cana  in  Galilee,  a  town  about 
eight  miles  north  of  Nazareth.  He  was  an  individual  of  great 
singleness  of  life  and  character,  pure  in  heart  and  an  ardent 
lover  of  the  truth ;  discriminating  also  and  cautious  against 
error,  but  readily  open  to  conviction.  To  such  a  man  the 
rumors  and  the  excitement  at  Bethabara  could  not  be 
otherwise  than  known;  and  inasmuch  as  he  was  looking 
earnestly  and  longingly  for  the  fulfillment  of  Israel's  great 
hope,  he  had  probably  this  very  morning  been  in  retirement 
for  prayer  respecting  this  present  engrossing  topic.  He  had 
doubts  peculiar  to  himself;  for  the  proximity  of  his  home 
to  Nazareth,  whence  Christ  had  come,  made  him  acquainted 
with  the  character  of  that  place,  which  he  believed  to  be 
bad.  He  was  now  met  by  Philip  full  of  ardor  and  zeal, 
who  exclaimed  to  him, 

"  We  have  found  him  of  whom  Moses  in  the  law,  and  the 
prophets,  did  write,  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  son  of  Joseph !" 

"  Can  there  any  good  thing  come  out  of  Nazareth  ?" 

"  Come  and  see." 

He  followed  Philip  towards  Christ,  who  when  he  saw  him 
said  to  those  around : — 

"  Behold  an  Israelite  indeed,  in  whom  is  no  guile !" 

The  words  doubtless  had  reference  to  the  entire  singleness 
of  the  man's  purpose  in  his  present  seeking  for  light;  and 
the  earnest  seeker  spoke  out  in  wonder, 

"  Whence  knowest  thou  me  ?" 

To  which  the  response  was  given : 


100      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

"Before  that  Philip  called  thee,  when  thou  wast  under 
the  fig-tree,  I  saw  thee." 

"  Rabbi,  thou  art  the  Son  of  God  ;  thou  art  the  king  of 
Israel." 

"  Because  I  said  unto  thee,  I  saw  thee  under  the  fig-tree, 
believest  thou?  thou  shalt  see  greater  things  than  these. 
Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Hereafter  ye  shall  see  heaven 
open,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending  upon 
the  Son  of  man." 

Still  greater  was  the  amazement  in  all  who  heard. 


CHAPTER  XI. 
AT  CAN  A  IN  GALILEE. 

THE  events  in  the  former  chapters,  it  will  be  remembered 
occurred  in  Judea ;  but  we  are  now  to  follow  the  Mes- 
siah into  Galilee.  John's  baptizings  had  been  about  twenty 
miles  from  Jerusalem,  probably  a  little  to  the  north  of  east 
from  it;  and  this  capital  city  or  its  neighborhood  might 
possibly  appear  to  be  the  best  spot  for  the  first  general  teach- 
ings and  miracles  of  Christ. 

o 

But  they  were  not.  Judea  was  intensely  and  inveterately 
Jewish,  in  the  worst  meaning  of  the  word.  In  the  great 
proud  capital  were  the  Schools  of  their  Doctors;  and  every 
one  was  not  allowed  to  appear  there  as  a  public  teacher ;' 
for  although  the  form  of  authorization  may  not  have  been 
fully  established  then,  as  the  Talmuds  state  to  have  been 
afterwards  the  case,  when  to  be  qualified,  an  individual  must 
have  been  for  some  years  as  Collega  of  a  Rabbi,  and  then 

1  See  Matt.  xxi.  20 :  also  Tholuck  on  this  passage. 


AT  CANA   IN  GALILEE.  IOI 

promoted  to  the  work  of  instruction  to  others ;  yet,  under 
Shammaiand  Hillel,  in  the  time  of  Herod  the  Great,  the  school 
had  in  all  respects  taken  this  shape.  Christ's  authority  to 
teach  would  be  questioned  there  at  the  very  outset,  and  dif- 
ficulties be  thrown  in  his  way,  and  people's  ears  closed  byx 
authoritative  injunctions.  There  too  was  the  high  seat  of 
all  scholastic  iniquity  in  the  Unwritten  Traditional  Law, 
with  which  he  was  to  come  into  violent  antagonism;  and  in 
which,  unbounded  invention  and  authority  could  be  united 
so  as  greatly  to  embarrass  his  work.  There  Pharisaic  pride, 
Sadducaic  vanity  and  insolence,  and  Herodian  free- 
thinking  would  if  necessary  lay  aside  their  distinctive 
tenets,  and  at  once  combine  against  him ;  and  his  followers, 
men  of  humblest  rank  and  uninstructed,  would  there 
be  thoroughly  scorned,  for  they  belonged  to  a  class 
against  whom  the  Pharisee's  code  shut  up  the  kingdom  of 
heaven. 

Why  did  he  choose  such  men  for  disciples?  the  reader 
asks.  The  answer  will  manifest  itself  to  any  one  who  will 
notice  how  education,  as  conducted  in  that  country,  dwarfed 
and  perverted  the  intellect,  and  helped  to  make  it  impervious 
to  the  truth.  It  was  important  in  these  new  doctrines  to 
have  as  much  as  possible  a  tabula  rasa,  a  clear  page,  on 
which  to  write  the  truths  which  Christ  came  to  communicate 
to  the  world.  Even  these  chosen  men,  John,  Nathaniel, 
Andrew,  Philip,  etc.,  were  always  mistaking  the  doctrines 
of  their  master,  especially  such  as  referred  to  the  fact  that 
his  kingdom  was  not  of  this  earth. 

Galilee  was  a  region  very  different  from  Judea.  Although 
densely  populated,  it  had  no  very  large  cities,  but  was  an 
agricultural  country  with  numerous  villages;  its  inhabitants 
mostly  a  people  of  simple  habits,  frank,  genial  in  feeling, 
open  to  instruction  and  ready  to  respond  to  any  benevolent 
acts.  Their  bravery  of  disposition  was  shown  soon  after 
this  in  the  fact  that  Joseplms,  when  collecting  forces  for 

9* 


102      LIFE-SCENES   FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

the  defence  of  his  country,  was  able  in  this  small  district, 
to  raise  an  army  of  100,000  men.  He  says  of  this 
region, 

"Those  two  Galilees,  [upper  and  lower,  but  essentially 
one]  of  so  great  largeness,  and  encompassed  with  so  many 
nations  of  foreigners,  have  always  been  able  to  make  a 
strong  resistance  on  all  occasions  of  war ;  for  the  Galileans 
are  inured  to  war  from  their  infancy,  and  have  been  always 
very  numerous,  nor  hath  the  country  been  ever  destitute  of 
men  of  courage,  or  wanted  a  numerous  set  of  them ;  for 
their  soil  is  universally  rich  and  fruitful,  and  full  of  the 
plantations  of  trees  of  all  sorts,  insomuch  that  it  invites  the 
most  slothful  to  take  pains  in  its  cultivation,  by  its  fruitful- 
ness  ;  accordingly  it  is  cultivated  by  its  inhabitants,  and  no 
part  of  it  lies  idle.  Moreover,  the  cities  lie  very  thick,  and 
the  very  many  villages  which  are  here  are  everywhere  so 
full  of  people,  by  the  richness  of  their  soil,  that  the  very 
least  of  them  contain  above  15,000  inhabitants.  In  short, 
if  any  one  will  suppose  that  Galilee  is  inferior  to  Perea 
in  magnitude,  he  will  be  obliged  to  prefer  it  before  it  in  its 
strength  ;  for  this  is  all  capable  of  cultivation  and  is  every- 
where fruitful."1 

After  calling  the  five  disciples  at  Bethabara,  as  mentioned 
above,  Christ  proceeded  to  Galilee ;  and  just  after  his  arrival, 
went  to  a  marriage  feast  at  Cana,  to  which  he,  his  mother 
and  disciples  were  invited. 

We  will  accompany  him  there,  and  notice  carefully  all 
the  singular  facts  of  this  feast;  for  some  of  them  have 
been  nervously  shrunk  from,  especially  in  modern  times,  as 
things  difficult  to  be  explained. 

We  observe  first  the  company  and  the  occasion. 

The  latter  was  one  of  the  holiest,  as  well  as  of  the  most 
joyful,  events  in  human  life;  so  holy  that  a  large  part  of  the 


De  Bello,  III.  3,  §  2. 


AT   CAN  A   IN  GALILEE.  103 

Christian  church  has  considered  it  a  sacrament,  or  a  solemn 
religious  ceremony  establishing  new  covenants  between  God 
and  his  people ;  nor  can  its  joyousness  ever  detract  from  its 
religious  aspects ;  for  religion  is  itself  always  a  new  joy  in 
the  heart.  We  look  therefore  at  the  presence  of  Jesus  on 
this  occasion,  as  only  giving  new  sanctions  to  a  holy  and 
blessed  rite,  the  gladness  in  which  is  but  an  additional  beauty 
to  what  is  so  beautiful  in  itself.  That  there  could  be  no 
rudeness  and  no  coarseness  in  the  mirth  there,  and  no  excesses 
in  any  enjoyment  sanctioned  by  such  a  presence,  we  have  the 
assurance  in  all  else  that  we  know  of  his  pure  and  holy  life, 
and  of  his  teachings,  which  descend  with  a  searching  power 
into  the  very  thoughts  of  the  soul  of  man.  We  see  Christ 
then,  in  this  scene,  as  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  occasion ; 
and  combined  with  his  grandeur  of  aspect  and  with  his 
gentleness  and  kindness  to  all,  we  mark  his  sympathy 
also  with  the  happiness  of  the  time  and  circumstance ;  and 
we  love  him  more  from  seeing  how  he  entered  into  the 
gladness,  as  well  as  into  the  sorrows  of  human  life. 

Among  the  company  present  there  was  a  very  singular  sen- 
sation. Watchings,  whisperings,  uneasy  earnest  movements, 
unusual  at  such  a  time  were  noticed  during  all  the  feast.  The 
five  disciples,  who  were  there,  could  not  help  but  give  infor- 
mation of  the  occurrences  at  Bethabara;  and  from  this 
sprang  up  a  scrutiny  and  a  wondering,  which  spread  quickly 
throughout  the  assembly.  The  impression  was  as  it  might 
have  been  if  their  outward  vision  had  caught  glimpses  of  a 
dim,  undeveloped  form  of  an  angel  floating  in  the  atmosphere 
of  their  room, — now  partly  revealed,  now  hidden  in  obscu- 
rity •  and  as  if  they  were  expecting  to  hear  the  angel  speak. 
There  could  be  no  tendency  to  unseemly  merriment  in  that 
house ;  but  there  was  an  impress! veness  as  of  a  strange  pre- 
sence: and  yet  no  one  could  look  into  those  features  of 
Christ  so  full  of  love  to  all  men,  without  knowing  that  this 


104     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

impressivfiness  was  not  painful,  but  only  added  to  the  general 
holy  and  genial  affections  of  the  time  and  place. 

There  also  was  the  mother  of  Christ,  among  the  guests. 
She  knew,  and  had  entire  faith  in  him  in  all  respects :  and 
while  as  attentive  as  others,  she  was  trying  to  still  her  heart 
in  the  full  strength  of  her  faith.  But  a  mother's  heart 
would  not  be  stilled,  and  her  nervous  anxiety  followed  him 
everywhere.  With  what  entireness  of  affection  she  loved 
that  son !  How  glorious  he  was  to  her !  What  reverence 
was  mingled  with  her  love !  How  perfect  her  faith  !  And 
yet,  the  future  ?  she  could  not  divine  it :  and  in  the  present, 
she  was  anxious  and  nervous  through  the  great  power  of  her 
love. 

The  Jewish  wedding  feasts  usually  continued  through 
seven  or  eight  days ;  and  on  this  occasion,  at  the  last  of  it, 
the  supply  of  wine  was  exhausted.  The  mother  of  Jesus 
came  to  him  to  tell  him  that  this  was  the  fact.  It  is  diffi- 
cult at  any  time,  to  enter  into  a  mother's  feelings,  and  the 
difficulty  here  is  enhanced  by  the  peculiarities  of  the  case. 
Did  she,  overhearing  the  whisperings  and  surmisings,  and 
probably  the  objections,  and  possibly  scornful  rejoinders  by 
some,  wish  too  eagerly  for  a  miracle  by  one  whom  she  knew 
to  be  so  wonderfully  endowed,  in  order  that  he  might  silence 
objectors  and  scorners  ?  Was  she  anxious  to  hurry  demon- 
strations of  the  Divine  power,  which  she  believed  would  be 
eventually  made?  to  interpose  her  maternal  anxiety  in  a 
place  where  she  ought  to  have  had  faith  in  the  Divine  ? 
The  answer  given  her  would  seem  to  indicate  this :  but  still 
not  relinquishing  her  hopes,  she  directed  the  servants, 

"  Whatsoever  he  saith  unto  you,  do  it." 

There  were  several  water-jars  present  which  he  directed 
to  be  filled  with  water  which  was  done:  then  he  said, 
"  Draw  out  now  and  bear  unto  the  governor  of  the  feast." 
The  latter,  ignorant  of  what  had  been  done,  tasted  the  fluid. 


AT  CAN  A   IN  GALILEE.  105 

It  had  becone  wine !  The  ruler  called  for  the  bridegroom, 
and  said : 

"  Every  man  at  the  beginning  doth  set  forth  good  wine ; 
and  when  men  have  well  drunk,  then  that  which  is  worse : 
but  thou  hast  kept  the  good  wine  until  now." 

The  only  additional  remark  in  the  Gospel  concerning  this 
circumstance  is,  "This  beginning  of  miracles  did  Jesus  in 
Cana  of  Galilee,  and  manfested  forth  his  glory ;  and  his  dis- 
ciples believed  on  him."1 

This  is  all  in  St.  John's  Gospel ;  but  the  world  has  ever 
since  remarked  freely,  especially  in  these  later  days,  and 
sometimes  with  equivocal  innuendo,  sometimes  with  infer- 
ences honestly  yet  injuriously  drawn ;  and  the  subject  has 
become  one  that  seems  to  require  further  comment  in  this 
place. 

The  writer  of  this  work  was  once  about  to  sit  down  to  a 
dinner  party  in  Washington,  the  whole  company  consisting 
of  clergymen  except  the  lady  of  the  house.  In  the  conver- 
sation, before  dinner  was  announced,  questions  were  put  to 
him  about  the  Navy  and  its  usages,  etc.,  and  he  mentioned 
how  he  had  been  led  to  entire  abstinence  even  in  the  use  of 
wines  by  the  importance  of  adding  all  possible  power  to  his 
injunctions  respecting  the  evils  of  intemperance  in  ships. 
The  clergymen  objected  that  "this  was  seeming  to  try  to 
make  one's  self  better  than  Christ ;"  that  "  He  drank  wine 
and  sanctioned  the  use  of  it  in  his  first  miracle ;"  and  that 
"what  he  had  sanctioned  no  man  ought  to  gainsay.  For 
themselves  they  would  not  dare  to  put  their  example  against 
His."  In  conclusion,  we  sat  down  to  dinner  with  decanters  of 
Madeira  before  us,  a  present  from  Ex-President  John  Quincy 
Adams  to  our  host,  and  the  present  writer  was  the  only  per- 
son of  entire  abstinence  on  the  occasion.  Now  these  were, 
undoubtedly,  conscientious  men,  honest  in  their  belief;  and 


1  John  ii.  2. 


106     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

it  is  because  honest  conscientious  men  have  such  a  view  of 
the  matter  (while  many  others  less  scrupulous  take  courage 
by  their  example)  that  some  comments  on  the  subject  are 
here  introduced. 

Among  religious  people  there  is  often  a  shrinking  from 
allusion  even  to  the  wine-making  at  Cana,  and  sometimes  in 
these  later  days  a  strange  effort  by  friends  of  total  abstinence 
at  arguments  which  will  not  bear  examination,  and  which 
perhaps  cause  a  revulsion  of  feeling,  a  result  quite  opposed 
to  that  which  the  arguments  were  intended  to  effect.  It  is 
best  to  deal  openly  with  the  subject.  Our  Saviour's  conduct 
needs  no  attempt  at  apology  from  man,  and  no  hiding  over 
or  shrinking  from ;  indeed  this  very  subject  of  Christ's  first 
miracle  comes  before  us  as  a  singular  test  to  ourselves  of  what 
is  our  disposition,  or  wish,  or  our  heart's  deep  inclination 
respecting  both  him  and  ourselves.  What  do  we  wish  to 
believe?  How  do  we  desire  to  come  to  conclusions?  What 
are  we  willing  to  choose  as  our  own  action  ? 

We  will  take  a  broad  view  of  the  subject  of  wines,  mak- 
ing our  remarks  however  as  succinct  as  the  case  will  admit. 
^  \  notice : 

1.  New  wines,  not  yet  fermented,  the  must  of  ancient  and 
modern  times.  Until  fermentation  (in  which  the  alcoholic 
principle  is  formed)  takes  place,  all  wines  are  a  perfectly 
harmless  as  well  as  pleasant  drink.  The  vintage  season  in 
Palestine  is  in  August1  and  September;  the  wine  then  made 
if  left  undisturbed  by  transportation  will  continue  in  its 
original  condition  for  several  months,  the  author  is  informed 
till  spring,  and  this  feast  at  Cana  was  at  some  time  before 
the  Passover,  which  occurred  in  March  or  April. 

1  The  author  purchased  at  Jaffa,  in  August,  a  bunch  of  grapes  two  feet 
long,  and  heard  of  others  still  longer,  all  of  length  inconvenient  to  be 
carried  in  the  hand  and  making  necessary  such  an  act  as  we  read  of  in 
Numbers  xiii.  23.  The  grapes  which  are  white,  small  and  sweet  are 
disposed  scatteringly  in  the  cluster,  which  is  remarkable  chiefly  for  its 
length. 


AT  CAN  A   IN  GALILEE.  107 

2.  Wines  in  which  fermentation  is  quite  prevented.     This  may 
be  done  by  boiling  and  other  processes,  but  most  easily  by 
the  former,  which  was  often  done.     The  wine  was  somewhat 
thickened,  but  the  purpose  of  prevention  was  entirely  an- 
swered, and   the  drink  remained   harmless  and  sweet:   it 
could  be  diluted  with  water  when  used,  and  was  then  an 
agreeable  as  well  as  harmless  beverage.     Columella,  a  Ro- 
man writer  on  agriculture,  says,  "  Some  people  boil  away  a 
fourth  and  others  a  third  of  the  must." 

3.  Wines  drugged  in  order  to  prevent  or  check  fermentation. 
A  vast  variety  of  recipes  for  this  are  given  in  the  ancient 
Roman  and  Greek  writers.     The  Greek  wine  of  the  present 
day  is  unpalatable  to  foreigners  on  account  of  its  turpentine- 
taste  received  from  this  cause.     In  Roman  wines  alcohol  was 
so  unusual  that  according  to  Pliny  the  Falernian  was  the  only 
one  that  could  be  made  to  burn  with  a  flame.     Solo  vinorum 
flamma  accenditur.1 

4.  Wines  such  as  we  see  now  in  common  use  as  a  beverage 
in  France  and  Italy.     Rev.  Dr.  Duff,  in  his  journey  through 
France,  says  of  their  wine  :  "  In  this  its  native,  original  state, 
it  is  a  plain,  simple  and  wholesome  liquid,  which  at  every 
repast  becomes  to  the  husbandman  what  milk  is  to  the  shep- 
herd, not  a  luxury  but  a  necessary ;  not  an  intoxicating  but 
a  nutritive  beverage."     The  author  of  this  book,  in  more 
than  six  years  of  cruising  along  the  shores  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean, never  as  far  as  he  can  recollect,  saw  a  drunken  man 
among  the  natives,  although  wines  were  used  by  them  almost 
as  freely  as  water  is  with  us. 

5.  Sweet   wines.      A   recent   traveller   in   Palestine,    W. 
C.  Prime,  who  appears  to  have  given  the  subject  of  wines 
there,  as  well  as  in  other  countries,  a  thorough  consideration, 
says,  that  the  good  wines  of  that  country  are  all  sweet,  lie 
having  seen  sour  wine  only  twice  in  Palestine,  and  "  this  was 


1  Lib.  14;  cap.  13. 


108     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

vile  stuff."  At  Tiberias,  by  the  Lake  of  Galilee,  when  de- 
sirous of  replenishing  his  stores,  he  was  taken  to  a  wine 
cellar  where  were  six  different  kinds  of  Galilean  wine. 
"  Some,"  he  says,  "  was  new  and  raw,  unripe  and  unplea- 
sant, the  bitter  taste  of  grape  seeds  predominant ;  other  was 
better,  more  like  a  Baune  Burgundy  sweetened.  One  jar 
was  not  a  little  like  dead  champagne,  and  that  which  she 
[the  owner]  thought  best  of  all  was  heavier  than  port,  thick, 
oily  and  sweet,  strong  and  sharp  in  the  throat,  but  cloying 
to  the  taste.  I  have  never  seen  anything  like  this  wine 
elsewhere,  except  in  Jerusalem,  in  the  house  of  one  Morde- 
cai,  where  I  tasted  the  same.  The  Jews  esteem  it  above  all 
other  wines.  They  take  but  little  of  it  at  a  time,  using  it 
as  we  do  a  preserved  fruit  or  jelly."  He  considered  this 
cellar  at  Tiberias  "  a  fair  representation  of  the  same  reposi- 
tory" in  ancient  times ;  and  we  now  remark  on  this  subject 
of  sweet  wines  that  the  alcoholic  principle  in  them  is  but 
slightly  formed  by  fermentation;  for  their  sweetness  "is 
due  to  undecomposed  grape  sflgar,  the  ferment  being  ex- 
hausted before  all  the  sugar  is  changed.  This  excess  of 
sugar  preserves  the  wine  from  further  decomposition.  Where 
the  sugar  is  wholly  decomposed  the  wines  are  called  '  dry/ 
as  claret,  Burgundy,  port,  sherry,  &c." l  There  being  little 
fermentation,  consequently  in  them  but  little  alcohol  can  be 
formed. 

6.  Finally,  we  notice  that  these  last  wines  just  enumerated 
have  in  them  the  following  per  centage  of  Alcohol :  Port 
from  21  to  26:  Sherry,  13  to  18:  Claret,  14  or  15:  Ma- 
deira, 19  to  26 : — this,  even  when  they  are  genuine,  which 
we  know  to  be  in  our  country  very  rarely  the  case ;  the 
wines  in  use  here  being  manufactured  in  a  great  degree 
from  vile  and  noxious  drugs.  Alcohol  as  a  distinct  princi- 
ple, was  not  known  until  A.  D.  1313,  and  consequently 


Youman's  Chemistry. 


AT   CAN  A    IN   GALILEE.  109 

could  never  have  been  infused  into  the  ancient  beverages,  as 
it  is  constantly  done  with  those  of  modern  times,  even  into 
the  best  of  the  genuine  ones  now  in  the  market. 

The  whole  subject  is  now  before  the  reader,  and  he  is  left 
to  draw  conclusions  for  himself,  as  he  doubtless  will  do :  but 
any  person  ought  to  question  very  closely  his  own  feelings 
before  he  can  allow  himself  amid  such  a  variety  of  innocent 
beverages  as  is  above  exhibited,  to  conclude  that  Christ  per- 
formed an  act  that  can  in  any  wise  encourage  our  modern 
usages  in  intoxicating  drinks.  The  whole  course  of  his 
pure  and  holy  life  was  utterly  set  against  any  such  encour- 
agement ;  and  we  do  violence  to  all  his  teachings  and  all  his 
example,  when  we  try  to  deduce  any  aid  to  ourselves  in 
countenancing  the  strongly  alcoholic  wines  of  our  day.  Saint 
Paul's  rule  is  clearly  defined  and  commends  itself  to  every 
man's  convictions  of  right.  "  Take  heed  lest  by  any  means 
this  liberty  of  yours  become  a  stumbling-block  to  them  that 
are  weak/' l  "  It  is  good  neither  to  eat  flesh,  nor  to  drink  wine, 
nor  anything  whereby  thy  brother  stumbleth,  or  is  offended, 
or  is  made  weak."2  Paul  had  drawn  this  principle  of  ac- 
tion from  the  true  spirit  of  all  Christ's  teaching  and  ex- 
ample ;  and  men  are  assuredly  contravening  both  when  they 
quote  this  act  at  Cana  in  support  of  a  contrary  course. 

In  reference  to  any  loss  of  enjoyment  by  following  the 
strict  temperance  rules,  the  author  will  take  the  liberty  here 
to  mention  a  reply  which  he  recently  made  to  a  friend  who 
with  a  bottle  of  champagne  before  him  was  taunting  him 
jocosely  on  the  loss  of  such  enjoyment.  "  No,  I  am  not  a 
loser  but  a  gainer  by  abstinence  in  such  a  cause,  for  I  am 
all  the  while  drinking  champagne  in  my  heart."  The  an- 
swer did  not  make  a  convert  then,  and  probably  it  will  not 
now ;  but  still  it  tells  the  truth. 


1  1  Cor.  viii.  9.        2  Romans  xiv.  21. 


1 10     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

CHAPTER  XII. 
THE    TEMPLE. 

AFTER  these  events  at  Cana,  Jesus  with  his  mother  and 
disciples  proceeded  to  Capernaum,  by  the  lake  of 
Galilee ;  but  they  remained  there  only  a  few  days,  for  the 
Passover  was  approaching,  and  it  was  according  to  the  re- 
quirements of  their  law  that  he  should  go  up  to  Jerusalem 
for  the  observance  of  the  festival. 

Certain  occurrences  on  this  occasion  require  for  the  better 
understanding  of  them,  that  we  should  have  a  knowledge 
of  the  temple  and  its  precincts ;  and  we  enter  upon  a  de- 
scription of  it  the  more  readily,  because  it  was  in  itself  a 
very  grand  object,  as  well  as  being  a  most  important  part  of 
the  Jewish  system.  The  Messiah  will  come  before  us  fre- 
quently in  connection  with  this  edifice  and  its  surroundings, 
and  we  must  endeavor  to  have  it  all  clearly  before  our 
minds. 

This  spot  was  the  central  object  of  the  Jews'  aifections 
both  at  home  and  wherever  they  were  scattered  over  the 
world.  The  very  stones  were  precious  in  their  eyes.  In  distant 
lands  the  theme  to  their  wondering  children  was  the  former 
glory  that  rested  abidingly  on  Mount  Moriah  ;  the  presence 
of  God  as  seen  and  felt  there,  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  the 
Ark,  the  bright  cloud  upon  the  mercy-seat,  the  spirit  of 
prophecy ; — all  connected  with  the  first  temple  which  Solo- 
mon had  built  and  had  dedicated  with  sacrifices  of  sheep 
and  oxen  "  that  could  not  be  told  nor  numbered  for  multi- 
tude/' and  with  prayers;  while  in  "the  holy  place"  within, 
"  the  priest  could  not  stand  to  minister/'  "  for  the  glory  of 
the  Lord  had  filled  the  house  of  the  Lord."  That  temple 
had  long  since  been  destroyed  by  the  enemy's  hand ;  but  its 


THE   TEMPLE.  Ill 

splendor  and  its  honor  from  heaven  were  yet  a  living  re- 
membrance in  the  hearts  of  all  the  Jews. 

Then  had  come  the  second  temple  built  by  Nehemiah,  far 
inferior  to  the  other, — the  foundations  laid  while  the  old 
men  among  them  who  had  seen  the  glory  of  the  first,  "  wept 
with  a  loud  voice,"  as  they  remembered  it ;  and  the  younger 
were  shouting  with  joy  at  the  prospect  of  restoring  the 
former  worship ;  "  so  that  the  people  could  not  discern  the 
noise  of  the  shout  of  joy  from  the  noise  of  the  weeping  of 
the  people :  for  the  people  shouted  with  a  loud  shout,  and 
the  noise  was  heard  afar  off."1 

Such  were  some  of  the  grand  and  the  tender  associations 
connected  with  this  sacred  spot:  but  it  had  others  also 
deeply  interesting ;  for  Moriah  was  supposed  to  be  the  place 
where  Abraham  erected  the  altar  for  offering  his  son ;  and 
it  was  certainly  there  that  David  interceded  for  his  people, 
and  built  an  altar  at  the  time  when  the  destroying  angel 
was  scattering  pestilence  over  Israel,2  because  the  monarch 
had  numbered  his  subjects,  trusting  in  them  rather  than 
in  God. 

This  second  temple  being  unsuited  to  the  grandeur  of  the 
purposes  for  which  it  had  been  erected,  and  having  also  be- 
come ruinous  from  age,  Herod  the  Great  determined  to  pull 
it  down  and  to  erect  a  larger  one ;  and  finally  he  succeeded 
in  placing  before  the  Jewish  people  that  great  "  Mountain 
of  the  House/7  as  they  termed  it,  vaster  in  size  and  more 
magnificent  in  its  architectural  claims,  than  was  the  case 
even  with  Solomon's  temple  itself. 

Mount  Moriah  is  a  short  rocky  ridge  318  yards  wide, 
running  north  and  south ;  having  on  the  east  the  deey. 
valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  separating  it  from  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  and  on  the  west  a  shallower  valley  called  the  Tyro- 
peon,  (also  valley  of  the  Cheesemongers),  117  yards  across,3 
immediately  beyond  which  rose  the  heights  of  Zion  lined  with 


1  Ezra  iii.  12,  13.         2  2  Sam.  xxiv.  25.  3  Eobinson. 


H2      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 


its  battlemented  walls.  Solomon  had  by  means  of  a  wall  built 
on  the  eastern  side,  and  perhaps  also  across  the  southern  part 
of  this  ridge,  and  by  filling  it  up,  formed  a  platform  for  his 
temple;  but  Herod  faced  each  side  of  Moriah  with  a  wall 
forming  a  rectangular  substructure  suited  to  the  temple  yvith 
which  its  heights  were  to  be  crowned.  The  foundation  of 
this  wall  can  still  be  traced  nearly  in  its  whole  extent; 
while  at  the  south-eastern  angle  it  has  an  elevation  of 
twenty-five  feet  in  its  original  condition.  This  and  similar 
remains  aiford  us  an  opportunity  of  studying  some  of  the 
peculiar  characteristics  of  Jewish  architecture  in  those  an- 
cient times,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  what  travellers 
to  that  region  have  generally  called  bevelled  stones,  a  wrong 
term  which  conveys  an  incorrect  idea  of  this  style  of  em- 
bellishment. The  word  rebated  is  the  proper  one,  and  the 
wood-cuts  here  appended  will  show  what  it  means.  The 
appearance  is  that  of  a  raised  panel  on  the  face  of  the 
stone,  the  edges  of  the  panels  being  about  two  inches  from 
the  joints  which  are  carefully  and  nicely  made.  The  blocks 
are  of  good  white  limestone,  and  some  of  them  have  mea- 
sured from  twenty-four  to  thirty  feet  in  length. 

Front  view  of  a  rebated  wall,  characteristic  of  the  ancient  Jewish  Architecture. 


Profile  Section  of  the  same. 


THE   TEMPLE.  113 

These  walls  having  been  carried  to  an  elevation  which 
though  doubtless  less  than  that  given  by  Josephus — 400  or 
500  feet — was  still  considerable,  the  inclosed  space  was 
filled  up  with  arched  ways  and  earth ;  and  thus  at  a  proper 
height  a  platform  was  made  for  their  sacred  purposes.  Let 
the  reader  now  imagine  these  outside  walls  to  be  carried  still 
higher  so  as  to  enclose  this  platform  as  in  a  court,  and  to  be 
battlemented.  This  court  according  to  Josephus  was  625 
feet  square,1  and  was  paved  with  marble  of  various  colors ; 
and  against  the  wall  all  around  was  a  cloister  or  covered  space 
thereof  of  which  was  of  carved  and  ornamented  wood- work, 
the  columns  supporting  it  of  marble,  each  column  a  single 
stone.  In  southern  countries  where  people  live  much  in  the 
open  air,  covered  places  for  general  resort  are  a  great  conve- 
nience, and  the  pillared  spaces  around  the  Grecian  temples  were 
for  such  a  purpose  as  well  as  for  ornament.  The  Greeks  how- 
ever, finding  these  insufficient,  soon  began  to  erect  what  were 
called  Stose — inclosed  courts  with  paved  corridors,  and  had 
many  of  them.  The  Stoic  sect  of  philosophers  received  that 


1  He  says  a  furlong  square,  and  doubtless  meant  the  Roman  furlong, 
equal  to  625  feet  of  our  measure  ;  but  this  must  be  too  little  even  accord- 
ing to  his  own  showing ;  for  it  would  not  allow  room  for  the  measure- 
ments which  he  gives  of  the  Sanctuary  (or  more  holy  place),  within.  The 
Talmuds  give  750  feet  for  each  side;  and  these  are  the  dimensions 
adopted  in  the  accompanying  plan  in  this  book.  The  ground  is  now  oc- 
cupied by  the  Turks  as  their  sacred  enclosure,  the  Haram  es-Sheriff,  with 
the  Mosque  of  Omar,  a  forbidden  place  to  any  but  Mohammedans ;  but 
the  foundations  of  the  old  wall  of  substructure  have  been  carefully  mea- 
sured. They  are  according  to  Dr.  Barclay  on  the  East  1523^  feet;  North 
1038;  West  1600;  South  916;  agreeing  nearly  with  those  of  Robinson 
and  of  Catherwood.  This  doubtless  embraces  the  Castle  of  Antonia, 
which  adjoined  the  temple  on  the  North,  with  an  extent  of  ground  ac- 
cording to  Josephus,  equal  to  that  of  the  temple  courts.  (De  bel.  v.  5, 
g  2).  If  we  take  the  southern  half  of  these  measurements,  and  allow 
for  the  necessary  inward  slant  of  so  high  a  wall  and  an  offset  above,  we 
come  very  nearly  to  the  dimensions  in  the  Talmuds,  thus  settling  a 
much-discussed  and  difficult  subject. 
10  * 


114      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

name  because  Zeno  their  teacher  delivered  his  lectures  in 
one  of  these  resorts,  the  Stoa  Poecile.  The  Romans  had 
also  numerous  stoae,  sometimes  private  ones  connected  with 
their  city  palaces  or  their  villas. 

These  cloisters  at  the  temple  were  thus  in  accordance  with 
the  habits  of  those  countries  and  times  ;  but  here  they  were 
also  not  only  very  beautiful  in  themselves  but  were  a  mag- 
nificent frame-work  for  the  more  holy  places  inclosed.  On 
the  north  and  east  and  west,  they  were  formed  by  triple 
rows  of  columns  (including  half-columns  against  the  wall) 
the  pillars  five  feet  in  diameter  and  twenty-seven  in  height, 
with  Corinthian  capitals  and  a  double  spiral  at  the  basis.1 
The  rows  of  columns  were  thirty  feet  apart,  the  whole  height 
of  the  cloister  fifty  feet,  and  above  it,  at  the  outer  edge, 
were  the  battlements  of  the  wall.  The  southern  cloister 
was  on  a  still  larger  scale ;  for  here  were  four  rows  of  col- 
umns, the  outer  and  inner  rows  being  as  on  the  other  sides, 
but  the  two  middle  ranges  had  twice  the  height  of  the 
others,  with  a  width  between  them  of  forty-five  instead  of 
thirty  feet.  The  western  end  of  this  central  colonnade 
opened  upon  a  stone  bridge  350  feet  long  leading  across  the 
Tyropeon  valley  and  connecting  the  temple  with  Mount 
Zion.  Portions  of  the  first  or  eastern  arch  of  this  bridge 
remain  in  their  original  condition  and  show  the  width  of 
the  bridge  to  have  been  fifty-one  feet.  It  was  doubtless 
the  main  thoroughfare  for  conducting  the  beasts  to  the 
temple  for  sacrificial  purposes. 

In  addition  to  this  outlet  by  the  Tyropeon  bridge,  there 
were  seven  of  a  different  kind ;  one  into  Antonia,  and  the 
others  either  by  long  flights  of  outside  steps  or  by  subterra- 
nean passages,  of  the  latter  of  which  some  remains  may  yet 
be  seen.  In  the  present  southern  wall  crossing  Moriah  is  a 
double  gateway,  within  which  is  a  vestibule  represented  in 


Josephus. 


Plan  of  Herod's  Temple,  formed  after  Jcsephus,  the  Talmuds  and  Lightfoot. 
On  a  Scale  of  250  feet  to  an  inch. 

A.  Holy  of  Holies. 

B.  Holy  Place. 

C.  The  Great  Altar,  with  inclined  plane  to  its  summit. 

D.  The  Court  of  Israel,  entered  from  E  by  the  Gute  Nicanor. 

E.  Court  of  the  Women ;  rooms  in  its  corners  for  various  purposes.    Like  that  of  Israel, 
it  had  cloisters  at  its  sides. 

F.  "  The  Beautiful  Gate  of  the  Temple."    (See  Acts  iii.  2.) 

G  and  II.  Court  of  the  Gentiles.  Of  the  cloisters  surrounding  this,  the  one  on  the  east  is 
Solomon's  Porch ;  that  on  the  south  is  the  Royal  Porch. 

I.  Sanhedrim  Room. 

K.  Bridge  leading  over  the  Tyropcon. 

L.  Part  of  the  Castle  of  Antonia. 

M.  Probable  place  of  the  Xystus. 

The  waved  lines  at  the  sides  and  rear  of  the  Temple  represent  chambers ;  three  stories  of 
these  at  the  sides  and  two  at  the  rear. 

The  gates  of  the  cloisters  are  marked  according  to  authority;  but  except  at  the  castle  of 
Antonia  and  the  bridge  and  perhaps  one  other  on  the  west,  they  probably  mean  the  com- 
mencement of  subterranean  descents. 

There  were  numerous  other  chambers  of  less  size  about  the  cloisters  and  courts,  but  they 
could  not  be  marked  on  such  a  plan  as  this. 

115 


THE    TEMPLE. 


117 


Remains  of  the  bridge  connecting  the  temple  court  with  Mount  Zion. 

the  second  cut  on  this  page.  It  is  the  commencement 
of  a  double  vaulted  archway  of  pure  Jewish  architecture, 
which  by  a  passage  258  feet  in  length  conducts  to  an  opening 
into  the  Haram  area  above,  as  doubtless  it  formerly  did 
to  the  temple  courts. 


Vestibule  to  underground  passage  leading  upward  to  the  ancient  temple  courts. 


Il8      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

We  return  to  contemplate  once  more  the  various  objects  at 
the  summit  of  this  "Mountain  of  the  House/'  where  the 
pillared  cloisters,  rich  as  they  were  in  architectural  effect, 
engaged  the  attention  only  for  a  moment  or  two.  The 
great  court  which  they  inclosed  was  called  the  court  of  the 
Gentiles,  and  was  open  to  all  the  world;  but  the  more  sacred 
spot  "The  Sanctuary"  could  be  visited  by  Jews  only. 
This  latter  was  a  little  to  the  North1  of  the  centre  of  the 
court,  and  was  on  more  elevated  ground;  it  was  170  cubits 
from  North  to  South,  and  335  from  East  to  West :  its  front 
toward  the  East.  It  was  ascended  to,  on  all  sides  by  four- 
teen steps,  on  the  uppermost  of  which  was  a  balustrade  of 
open  stone-work  three  cubits  high  and  elegantly  wrought: 
In  this  balustrade,  at  short  intervals,  were  pillars  with  inscrip- 
tions in  Greek  and  Roman  letters,  declaring  that  "no  for- 
eigner should  go  within  that  sanctuary."  Within  the  balus- 
trade was  a  level  space  ten  cubits  wide,  called  "the  Chel," 
and  vacant,  except  that,  toward  its  western  end,  the  council 
room  of  the  Sanhedrim,  built  partly  on  the  more  sacred 
ground  of  the  temple  court,  was  there  extended  so  as  to 
embrace  also  the  Chel.  Not  only  were  foreigners  excluded 
from  these  boundaries,  but  the  sight  of  all  within  them  was 
prevented  by  a  wall  forty  cubits  high,  running  all  around 
the  sanctuary  along  the  inner  border  of  the  Chel.  The 
Gentile  in  the  court  without  might  hear  the  voices  of  the 
chanters,  and  see  the  smoke  of  sacrifices  ascending  from  the 
great  altar,  but  even  his  vision  might  not  profane  the  holy 
places,  except  so  far  as  it  could  be  indulged  through  the 
large  gateways,  of  which  there  were  nine  in  this  wall,  four 
on  each  side,  and  one  at  the  east.  These  gateways  were 
large,  and  were  covered  over  with  silver  and  gold:  but 
the  one  at  the  east,  called  "The  Beautiful  Gate/'2  was  the 
most  magnificent  of  all.  It  was  of  Corinthian  brass, 


On  authority  of  the  Talrauds.  2  See  Acts  iii.  2. 


THE   TEMPLE.  119 

and  fifty  cubits  in  height:  its  doors  were  forty  cubits 
high,  and  were  "adorned  after  a  most  costly  manner, 
as  having  much  richer  and  thicker  plates  of  silver  and 
gold  upon  them  than  the  others.  These  nine  gates  had 
that  silver  and  gold  poured  upon  them  by  Alexander,  father 
of  Tiberius."1  Additional  steps  led  up  from  the  Chel  to 
this  magnificent  gateway;  and  passing  through  it,  the  visitor 
would  find  himself  then  in  what  was  called  "The  women's 
court,"  an  area  135  cubits  square,  and  surrounded  by  clois- 
ters, formed  by  columns  as  in  the  larger  court  without. 
Private  passage-ways  at  the  entrance  gave  the  women  access 
to  their  separate  place,  probably  above  the  cloisters;  for, 
although  this  was  called  the  "Court  of  the  women,"  it  was 
frequented  by  the  other  sex  as  much  as  by  them.  It  was 
the  place  for  that  most  extraordinary  scene  of  dancing, 
which  we  shall  notice,  by-and-by,  in  describing  the  Feast 
of  Tabernacles. 

The  "  Court  of  the  Women"  had  four  gates,  one  on  each 
side :  the  Beautiful  gate  on  the  east,  and  opposite  to  it  on  the 
west  a  large  and  very  rich  one,  called  Nicanor.  This  last  was 
reached  by  an  ascent  of  fifteen  steps  from  the  women's  court, 
and  gave  admittance  to  the  higher  platform  and  court,  called 
"The  Court  of  Israel,"  sometimes  termed  simply  "  The  Court." 
This  was  135  cubits  from  north  to  south  and  187  from  east 
to  west,  with  columns  and  cloisters  as  in  the  other  courts. 
But  the  reader  must  not  suppose  this  area  to  be  all  plain,  as 
in  the  women's  court,  for  here  was  the  great  altar  and  be- 
yond it  the  temple  itself.  Standing  at  its  eastern  gate  of 
entrance,  Nicanor,  (it  had  three  others  on  each  side),  the 
visitor  would  see  before  him,  at  eleven  cubits  distance,  a 
low  wall  running  across  the  court  and  separating  him  from 
the  "  Court  of  the  Priests ;"  beyond  that,  at  eleven  cubits, 
the  great  altar,  thirty-two  cubits  square  and  ten  in  height, 


Jos.  De  Bel.  v.  5,  \  3. 


120      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

with  an  inclined  plane  of  ascent  on  its  southern  side.     Then, 
beyond  the  altar,  was  the  Temple. 

This  last  stood  on  a  platform  the  highest  of  them  all.  Its 
porch  or  entrance,  100  cubits  wide  and  of  the  same  height, 
was  reached  in  front  and  at  its  two  ends  by  twelve  steps 
commencing  not  far  from  the  altar  and  formed  in  pairs, 
three  cubits  between  each  pair.  Josephus  says  :  "  The  out- 
ward face  of  the  temple  in  its  front  wanted  nothing  that  was 
likely  to  surprise  either  men's  minds  or  their  eyes,  for  it 
was  covered  all  over  with  plates  of  gold  of  great  weight, 
and  at  the  first  rising  of  the  sun  reflected  back  a  very  fiery 
splendor,  and  made  those  who  forced  themselves  to  look 
upon  it  to  turn  their  eyes  away  just  as  they  would  have 
done  at  the  sun's  own  rays.  But  the  temple  appeared  to 
strangers,  when  they  were  at  a  distance,  like  a  mountain 
covered  with  snow,  for  as  to  those  parts  of  it  that  were  not 
gilt  they  were  exceeding  white.  On  its  top  it  had  spikes 
with  sharp  points  to  prevent  any  pollution  of  it  by  birds 
sitting  upon  it.  Of  its  stones  some  of  them  were  forty-five 
cubits  [sixty-seven  feet]  in  length,  five  in  height  and  six  in 
breadth."1  It  was  of  such  as  these  that  the  disciples  said 
to  Christ,  "  Master  see  what  manner  of  stones  and  build- 
ings are  here;"  as  if  such  solidity  might  set  at  defiance  all 
common  human  events.  Indeed,  every  part  of  the  Moun- 
tain of  the  House  combined  great  massiveness  with  rich- 
ness of  decoration  and  often  with  elegance.  The  front  of 
the  temple  was  pierced  by  an  immense  open  entrance  seventy 
cubits  high  and  twenty-five  cubits  broad,  of  which  Josephus 
says,  "This  gate  had  no  doors,  for  it  represented  the  uni- 
versal visibility  of  heaven,  and  that  cannot  be  excluded 
from  any  place."  It  seems  to  have  been  an  arched  way 
sixteen  feet  in  depth  (the  thickness  of  the  front)  with  sides 
highly  enriched  with  architectural  devices,  and  in  this  open- 


Bel.  v.  5,  I  6. 


I 


THE    TEMPLE.  121 

ing  was  trained  the  celebrated  vine  of  beaten  gold,  the  clus- 
ters to  which  were  five  or  six  feet  in  length.1  Of  this  vine 
the  Talmud  says :  "  For  men  would  be  offering  some  gold 
to  make  a  leaf,  some  a  grape,  some  a  bunch,  and  these  were 
hung  upon  it,  and  so  it  was  increasing  continually."2  Taci- 
tus calls  the  building  immensce  opulentice  templum? 

This  was  only  the  porch  of  the  temple  which  narrower 
than  the  porch  extended  back  at  right  angles  to  it,  so  that 
the  whole  structure  was  in  a  form  like  this  J,.  Back  of  this 
lofty  arched  way  was  another  fifty-five  cubits  high  and  six- 
teen wide,  and  then  were  folding  doors  twenty  cubits  high 
and  each  five  cubits  wide,  giving  admittance  towards  the 
body  of  the  temple ;  next  to  these  a  veil,  in  the  rear  of  this, 
folding  doors  similar  to  the  last.  The  outer  pair  were  com- 
monly called  by  the  Jews  "  the  great  door  of  the  temple/' 
because  it  had  "  a  great  front ;"  and  of  this  we  have  the  re- 
cord, "  the  morning  sacrifice  was  never  killed  till  this  door 
was  opened,"  and  that  "  he  that  was  to  slay  the  sacrifice  killed 
him  not  till  he  heard  the  noise  of  the  great  gate  opening." 

None  but  the  priests  could  pass  these  doors,  and  entering 
they  would  find  themselves  now  in  "  the  Holy  Place,"  a 
room  forty  cubits  long,  twenty  wide,  and  sixty  in  height ; 
"  the  floor  planked  with  fir-boards  and  then  gilt  with  gold ;" 
the  walls  and  ceiling  of  cedar  both  gilt  likewise ;  the  walls 
carved  into  branches  and  open  flowers  to  the  height  of  fifty 
cubits,  above  which  were  windows  admitting  light.  In  this 
room  were  the  seven-branched  golden  candlestick  four-and- 
a-half  feet  high ;  the  table  of  show-bread,  two  cubits  long  by 


1  Josephus  Be  Bel.  v.  5,  §4.  Tacitus  says,  "But  because  their  [Jew- 
ish] priests  when  they  play  on  the  pipe  and  timbrels  wear  ivy  around 
their  head  and  a  golden  vine  has  been  found  in  their  temple,  some  have 
thought  that  they  worshipped  our  father  Bacchus,  the  conqueror  of  the 
east,  whereas  the  ceremonies  of  the  Jews  do  not  at  all  agree  with  those 
of  Bacchus." 

2  Lightfoot,  3  De  Jud.  lib.  v.  cap.  8. 

11 


122      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GQSPELS. 

one  in  breadth,  and  the  altar  of  incense  a  cubit  square  and 
two  cubits  in  height. 

Beyond  these  at  the  end  of  this  room  hung  a  veil,  and  a 
cubit  further  on,  a  second  veil,  this  second  the  one  spoken  of 
by  Josephus  and  others  as  "  the  veil  of  the  temple/7  This 
latter  was  the  one  rent  at  the  time  of  our  Saviour's  death. 
No  one  might  lift  these  veils  and  pass  beyond  except  the 
High  Priest  alone. 

The  room  to  which  this  gave  admittance,  "The  Holy  of 
Holies,"  was  twenty  cubits  square  and  as  many  in  height,  and 
was  gilt  throughout,  the  floor  as  well  as  the  walls  and  ceiling ; 
the  walls  also  enriched  with  precious  stones.  "  In  this  there 
was  nothing  at  all.  It  was  inaccessible  and  inviolable,  and 
not  to  be  seen  by  any,  and  was  called  the  Holy  of  Holies." 

Attached  to  each  side  of  this  main  building  were  three 
stories  of  small  chambers  for  temple  purposes;1  a  similar  set 
two  stories  in  height  being  also  at  the  western  end.  The 
central  or  main  building  rose  considerably  above  all  these. 
The  walls  in  these  edifices  were  of  great  thickness  (five  or 
six  cubits)  and  solidity,  as  was  requisite  in  a  country  subject 
to  earthquakes.  The  porch  extended  fifteen  cubits  on  each 
side  beyond  the  main  building  and  its  attached  chambers ; 
the  steps  leading  up  to  it  have  been  described  as  in  pairs, 
three  cubits  between  each  pair,  and  on  these  successive  plat- 
forms, or  "  degrees  of  steps,"  the  priests  stood  when  they 
sounded  the  trumpets,  and  also  when  accompanied  by  other 
instrumental  music  they  chanted  the  psalms. 

Women  were  admitted  beyond  their  own  court,  only  when 
they  brought  sacrifices ;  the  Jewish  men  might  come  into 
the  court  of  Israel ;  they  and  the  women  also  were  allowed 
to  pass  the  low  boundary  inclosing  the  court  of  priests  when 
they  came  to  touch  the  sacrifices  they  were  about  to  offer  on 
the  great  altar  within  that  court. 

1  They  are  supposed  to  have  given  rise  to  the  words:  "In  ray  Father's 
house  are  many  mansions,"  &c.  John  xiv.  2. 


THE    TEMPLE. 


I23 


What  a  contrast  to  those  temple  scenes  in  the  ancient 
times ; — the  old  worship,  the  innumerable  sacrifices,  the  re- 
joicing crowds  at  the  festivals,  the  priest,  the  rabbi,  the 
lordly  Pharisee; — to  all  this,  what  a  contrast  now  in  the 
scenes  among  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem,  to  which  city  they  yet 
come,  often  from  far  distant  lands,  to  pray  and  mourn  and 
die !  At  retired  spots,  by  the  remains  of  this  ancient  wall 
of  the  "  Mountain  of  the  House,"  they  may  be  very  fre- 
quently seen  with  their  lips  at  the  joints  between  the  stones, 
praying  so  that  their  breath  in  supplication  may  pass  towards 


Jews'  praying-place  at  the  foot  of  the  ancient  Temple  Walls. 

the  sacred  ground.  No  one  but  a  Mohammedan  is  allowed 
to  enter  on  the  paved  court  above,  once  the  temple  precincts ; 
but  the  hearts  of  the  Israelites  still  warm  with  affection  to- 
wards their  holy  place,  and  when  they  die  their  bodies  are 


124     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS 

carried  across  the  Kedron  and  ouried  on  the  lowest  slopes 
of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  so  that  the  shadows  of  Moriah  may 
be  cast  across  their  graves  as  the  sun  declines.  They  be- 
lieve also  that  in  this  valley  of  Jehoshaphat  will  be  the  final 
scene  of  the  judgment-day,  and  that  those  who  rise  there 
will  have  peculiar  advantages. 

Extensive  vaults  of  masonry  have  been  for  some  years  known 
to  exist  under  the  southern  end  of  the  site  of  the  Temple  courts 
and  Temple,  but  quite  recent  explorations  have  brought  to 
our  knowledge  many  still  more  interesting  facts  respecting 
excavations  below  those  grounds ;  among  them  a  reservoir, 
736  feet  in  circumference  and  forty-two  in  depth,  estimated  to 
have  a  capacity  of  two  millions  of  gallons,  supplied  in  an- 
cient times  by  the  aqueducts  from  Solomon's  pools  seven 
miles  distant  towards  the  south.  The  discoveries  "tend  to 


Underground  reservoirs  recently  discovered  beneath  the  site  of  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem. 

shew  that  by  a  series  of  subterranean  tunnels  and  valves  its 
abundant  waters  could  be  used  at  will  for  flushing  the  cess- 
pools and  sewers  connected  with  the  temple,  and  carrying 
off  all  the  blood  and  filth,  as  the  Talmud  informs  us  down 
to  the  bottom  of  the  Kedron." 

In  the  great  Mosque  of  Omar,  in  the  Plaram,  is  a  rock  of 


THE    TEMPLE.  125 

ruddy  limestone  projecting  above  its  floor,  and  regarded 
with  great  veneration  by  the  Turks.  It  is  irregular  in 
form,  nearly  sixty  feet  in  its  greatest  diameter,  and  rises 
five  feet  above  the  marble  floor. 

It  is  supposed  by  some  to  be  the  spot  of  Abraham's  altar, 
and  to  have  been  under  the  great  altar  of  the  ancient  tem- 
ple. At  its  south-east  corner  is  a  door  leading  down  to  an 
excavated  chamber  about  fifteen  feet  square  and  eight  in 
height.  The  rock  overhead  is  pierced  with  a  hole  three  feet 
in  diameter,  and  directly  beneath  this  in  the  floor  of  the 
chamber  is  another  hole  with  a  pit  beneath,  called  by  the 
Turks  the  Well  of  Spirits,  of  unknown  depth. 

A  channel  runs  northward  to  this  sacred  rock  from  the 
great  cistern  above  described,  enters  the  Well  of  Spirits, 
then  passes  on  northward  120  feet  to  a  large  double  cistern 
hewn  in  the  rock.  From  thence  a  tunnel  descends  east- 
ward, is  joined  by  an  aqueduct  from  the  great  tank  at  the 
northern-side  of  the  Haram  area,  and  appears  to  descend  to- 
ward the  Kedron.  The  Mishna  says,  "  Beneath  the  altar 
was  a  cave  whereby  blood  and  filth  were  conveyed  down 
into  the  Kedron  valley,  and  the  gardeners  there  paid  as 
much  as  purchased  a  trespass-offering  for  the  right  to  use  it 
for  fertilizing  their  gardens." 

These  explorations  have  been  made  chiefly  by  M.  Pierotti, 
formerly  engineer  in  the  Sardinian  service,  but  more  re- 
cently employed  by  the  Pacha  of  Jerusalem.  They  are  im- 
perfect, and  doubtless  much  yet  remains  to  be  discovered. 

Vast  subterranean  chambers  recently  discovered  under  the 
part  of  Jerusalem  called  Acra,  will  be  noticed  in  another 
part  of  this  work.1 

*  The  cubit  referred  to  in  this  chapter  is  most  probably  Roman  (equal 
to  18  inches  of  our  measure)  as  Josephus,  from  whom  the  measurements 
are  taken,  was  writing  for  the  Komans.     The  Jewish  cubit  was  equal  to 
21.8  inches. 
11  * 


120     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
THE   TEMPLE   CLEANSED— NICODEMUS. 

FROM  Capernaum  the  Messiah  had  proceeded  to  Jerusa- 
lem to  be  present  at  the  Passover,  and  having  arrived 
there  he  went  up  into  the  temple.  It  was  to  the  Jews  the 
greatest  of  all  their  celebrations  in  the  reminiscences  it 
awakened,  and  was  in  parts  of  it  a  very  solemn  and  in  other 
parts  of  it  a  very  joyful  festival.  The  Jews  came  to  it  from 
even  the  most  distant  regions,  and  the  numbers  congregated 
at  Jerusalem  were  calculated  on  one  occasion  for  a  statistical 
report  to  be  sent  to  the  Roman  emperor,  and  were  estimated 
at  two  millions  seven  hundred  thousand.1 

The  reader  who  has  perused  the  foregoing  chapter  and 
has  in  his  mind  the  grandeur  of  this  Mountain  of  the 
House,  the  courts,  the  altar  and  temple,  would  now  imagine 
a  scene  suited  to  the  place  and  the  solemnities.  But  there 
was  one  far  different, — a  scene  of  desecration  of  the  sacred 
spot,  of  filth,  of  barter  and  sale,  and  of  the  unholy  passions 
which  the  love  of  money  begets.  In  order  to  understand  it 
fully  we  must  follow  Lightfoot  in  some  of  his  details. 

"  There  were  thirteen  treasure-chests  at  the  temple  which 
by  the  Jews  were  called  Shoperoth,  which  signifies  properly 
trumpets,  because  trumpet-like  they  were  wide  at  the  bot- 
tom and  narrow  at  the  top,  that  money  put  in  might  not 
easily  be  got  out.  Two  were  for  the  half-shekel  that  every 
Israelite  had  to  pay  for  the  redemption  of  his  soul  or  life, 
for  which  the  law  is  given,  Exodus  xxi.  30 :  one  chest  for 
the  payment  of  the  last  year,  if  he  had  missed  to  pay  it  at 


1  See  Josephus,  Be  Bel.  vi.  9,  \  3. 


THE    TEMPLE    CLEANSED.  I2j 

the  due  time;  and  the  other  for  the  present.  On  the  first 
clay  of  Adar  [the  month  preceding  Passover  month]  which 
answers  to  our  February,  there  was  a  general  notice  given 
throughout  the  country  that  they  should  provide  to  pay  the 
half-shekel;  and  on  the  15th  of  that  month  the  collectors 
sat  in  every  city  to  gather  it ;  and  they  had  two  chests  be- 
fore them,  as  were  at  the  temple ;  and  they  demanded  the 
payment  calmly  and  used  no  roughness  or  compulsion. — On 
the  25th  day  of  the  month  the  collectors  began  to  sit  in  the 
temple,  and  then  they  forced  men  to  pay ;  and  if  any  one 
had  not  wherewith  to  pay  they  took  his  pawn,  and  some- 
times would  take  his  raiment  perforce.  They  had  a  table 
before  them  to  count  and  change  the  money  upon. 

"A  man  that  brought  a  shekel  to  change  and  must  have 
half  a  shekel  again,  the  collector  was  to  have  some  profit 
upon  the  change,  and  that  addition  was  called  Colbon.  *  * 
The  Talmud  and  other  authors  discourse  largely  about  this 
colbon,  and  who  was  to  pay  it,  and  who  to  be  quit  from  it, 
and  how  much  to  be  paid  and  to  like  purposes ;  but  the 
general  conclusion  is  still  for  some  profit,  which  exaction 
was  that  which  caused  our  Saviour  to  overthrow  the  tables 
of  the  Colbonists  (John  ii.  15;  Matt.  xxi.  12);  for  these  re- 
ceivers began  to  sit  in  the  temple  for  that  purpose  but 
eighteen  or  twenty  days  before  the  Passover,  and  continued 
for  that  time  when  the  concourse  of  people  was  greatest,  and 
after  it  was  over  and  done. 

"  And  so  the  market  that  was  in  the  temple,  the  sheep 
and  oxen,  it  is  like,  were  not  constantly  there,  but  for  such 
times  of  concourse,  when  the  multitude  of  people  and  sac- 
rifices were  so  exceedingly  great ;  though  indeed  there  was 
merchandizing  of  other  things  there  all  the  year  in  the  tab- 
ernse  or  shops  that  we  have  spoken  of  [in  the  Court  of 
the  Gentiles  just  inside  the  eastern  gate].  The  place  where 
the  marketing  of  the  sheep  and  oxen  was,  was  the  great 
space  of  the  Mountain  of  the  House  [Court  of  Gentiles] 


128     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

that  lay  on  the  south  side  of  the  courts ;  for  on  the  west  and 
north  the  rock  was  too  straight  for  such  matter ;  and  on  the 
east  was  the  most  common  entrance  of  the  people,  and  these 
cattle  would  have  stopped  up  the  way. 

"  These  collectors  of  the  pole-tax  (half-shekel)  probably 
sat  about  the  east  gate  Shushan,  as  being  the  chiefest  en- 
trance/'1 

There  were  besides  those  enumerated,  money-chests  for 
eleven  other  distinct  kinds  of  collections,  all  in  the  temple 
courts ;  and  these  last  remained  throughout  the  year. 

What  a  scene  there  was  therefore, — not  for  a  day,  but 
continuously  through  their  feasts, — in  that  large  court  be- 
longing to  the  temple !  In  addition  to  the  lambs  for  the 
Passover  supper,  there  were  many  thousands  of  sheep  and 
oxen  slain  at  this  festival.  They  were  brought  up  here  for 
sale;  and  while  from  the  great  altar  within  the  sacred 
enclosure  rose  up  the  smoke  of  the  sacrifices ;  from  this  ad- 
joining outer  court  came  strange  discordant  noises  jarring 
terribly  on  the  feelings  of  all  who  were  there  for  devotional 
purposes.  With  the  sounds  of  the  sacred  instrumental  mu- 
sic or  the  chantings  in  front  of  the  temple, — the  great  Hal- 
lels  of  the  occasion, — were  mingled  the  tramp  and  lowing 
of  cattle,  the  sharp  angry  words  of  buying  and  selling 
among  this  demonstrative  people,  the  loud  and  stern  de- 
mands of  the  Colbonists  or  collectors  requiring  the  half- 
shekel  often  from  the  poverty-stricken  or  reluctant,  from 
whom  their  garments  were  taken  by  force  when  the  money 
Avas  not  paid.  The  worst  feelings  of  the  human  heart  were 
cultivated  there,  and  Devotion,  even  at  this  their  most  sacred 
time,  was  driven  away  or  fled  disgusted  from  the  place.  The 
whole  scene  was  an  outrage  upon  the  time  and  occasion,  and 
upon  decency  itself;  and  must  often  have  been  felt  to  be  so 
by  every  right-thinking  man.  Therefore  now  when  Christ 


Light  foot — Temple  service. 


THE    TEMPLE    CLEANSED.  129 

reached  that  temple-court,  and  glancing  around  yielded  to 
the  sentiment  which  these  outrages  occasioned,  there  were 
many  other  persons  doubtless  ready  and  most  willing  to 
give  their  aid. 

He  cleared  the  temple-court  of  its  abominations. 

His  disciples  as  they  saw  his  face  lighted  up  by  his  emo- 
tions beheld  a  verification  of  the  Psalmist's  words,  "  The 
zeal  of  thine  house  hath  eaten  me  up."1  Before  the  glance 
of  his  eye  the  conscience-struck  traffickers  fled :  the  cords 
from  the  loosed  animals  supplied  him  with  a  scourge,  which 
indeed  was  scarcely  needed ;  for  his  words,  "  Make  not  my 
Father's  house  a  house  of  merchandize,77  stirred  up  that  which 
had  been  latent  in  every  heart,  and  brought  a  tide  of  con- 
viction which  carried  everything  before  it,  the  buyers  and 
sellers  retreating  as  best  they  could.  The  Colbonists  fared 
no  better  amid  their  exactions ;  for  the  poor  found  a  friend, 
the  money-chests  \vere  overturned  and  the  tables  cleared 
away. 

Strange  scene  indeed  it  was  where  people  everywhere 
fled  or  were  palsied  in  their  convictions  of  the  righteous 
dealing  by  a  seemingly  weak  individual ;  but  when  it  was 
all  over,  the  temple  was  in  a  new  condition,  cleansed  now 
and  restored  to  its  legitimate  use. 

But  who  was  this, — people  asked — who  was  this,  the  prin- 
cipal in  this  act  ?  They  turned  to  gaze  at  him ;  and  the 
rulers  also  came  immediately  with  the  pertinent  inquiry, 
"  What  sign  showest  thou  unto  us,  seeing  that  thou  doest 
these  things?77 

It  was  indeed  a  bold  invasion  of  their  rights  which  they 
had  for  so  long  a  time  abused,  in  giving  what  might  be 
called  their  sanction  to  these  abominations :  and  they  came 
to  him  indignant,  and  also  filled  with  astonishment  at  what 
he  had  effected  with  such  slight  means — a  strange  power 


See  John  ii.  17. 


130     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

that  seemed  to  be  in  him  and  of  which  they  might  well  be 
jealous,  conscious  as  they  were  of  their  own  iniquity. 
Troubled,  wondering,  angry,  resentful,  their  hearts  were 
now  in  singular  contrast  to  the  strange,  new  quiet  in  those 
courts,  and  to  the  peace  that  had  succeeded  the  turmoil.  A 
new  sacredness  hung  over  the  spot,  where  the  smoke  of  sac- 
rifice seemed  to  go  up  purer  than  before,  and  where  the 
chanting  of  the  Hallels  had  more  the  breath  of  heaven ; 
but  heaven  was  not  in  the  hearts  of  these  men,  whose 
character  the  Baptist  had  already  pointed  out  and  held  up 
before  their  eyes. 

To  their  inquiries  now,  Christ  gave  an  answer  in  the 
figurative  language  of  the  country;  and  for  the  present, 
their  curiosity  as  to  his  authority  for  such  acts  was  not 
gratified. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
NICODEMUS— JOHNS  IMPRISONMENT. 

THE  Messiah  appears,  during  this  visit  to  Jerusalem,  to 
have  performed  some  miracles  of  which  we  have  no 
record ;  but  which  occasioned  a  visit  to  him  by  a  Ruler,  upon 
whom  recent  circumstances  had  taken  a  strong  hold. 

This  Ruler — Nicodemus  by  name — came  by  night. 

Why  by  night?  It  may  be  that  he  thought  his  visit 
would  have  fewer  interruptions  at  that  hour;  but  the  course 
of  the  conversation  seems  to  point  to  a  less  commendable 
reason,  in  which  moral  timidity  may  have  been  involved. 
The  admiration  which  he  felt  now,  he  afterwards  continued 
to  cherish,  but  still  in  secret;  until  finally,  amid  the  heart- 


JOHN'S  IMPRISONMENT.  131 

rending  scenes  of  the  crucifixion,  all  other  feelings  gave  way 
before  his  reverence  and  love.  Nicodemus  rose  up  then,  in 
manly,  Christian  strength. 

Now  he  sought  the  Messiah  in  the  darkness,  and  was 
introduced:  and  they  sat  there  in  the  dim  light.  How  strik- 
ing the  difference  between  the  two!  Nicodemus  reverent, 
yet  wanting  boldness  openly  to  acknowledge  his  reverence ; 
irresolute,  yet  drawn  to  Christ  by  a  strong  power  of  affection ; 
inquisitive,  yet  probably  fearful  of  being  convinced.  On  the 
other  hand,  Christ  so  gentle  to  his  visitor,  yet  so  determined, 
not  wishing  to  repel,  yet  so  earnest  in  inculcating  that  truth 
on  Nicodemus  which  the  Euler  needed  most. 

Nicodemus  began  the  conversation. 

"  Rabbi,  we  know  that  thou  art  a  teacher  come  from  God : 
for  no  man  can  do  these  miracles  that  thou  doest,  except 
God  be  with  him." 

The  answer  seems  to  have  plunged,  at  once,  into  Nicode- 
mus's  case,  when  Christ  replied  with  emphasis : 

"  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  Except  a  man  be  born 
again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God."  You  must  have 
the  new  birth,  which  will  make  of  you  another  being;  will 
change  your  very  soul,  and  make  you  decided  for  the  truth, 
whithersoever  your  convictions  may  lead  you,  whether  before 
the  Sanhedrim  or  before  kings,  for  my  sake. 

The  word  "new  birth"  was  not  a  strange  one  to  Jewish 
ears.  "If  any  man  become  a  proselyte,  he  is  a  child  new- 
born ;"  "The  Gentile  that  is  made  a  proselyte,  and  a 
servant  that  is  made  free,  behold,  he  is  like  a  man  new-born/'1 
are  words  from  their  ancient  Rabbis;  but  it  was  a  new 
doctrine  to  be  urged  upon  one  already  a  Jew;  and  Nicode- 
mus received  it  with  expressions  of  surprise. 

An  entire  change  of  soul  wrought  by  the  Holy  Spirit  was 
inculcated  upon  Nicodemus:  and  then  Christ,  in  showing 


1  See  Lightfoot  in  loco. 


I32      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

that  the  heroism  which  is  to  be  a  consequent  of  it  and 
which  was  needed  by  the  visitor,  was  not  required  of  others 
while  he  was  shrinking  from  it  himself,  spoke  of  his  own  fu- 
ture,— "And  as  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness, 
even  so  must  the  Son  of  man  be  lifted  up :  that  whosoever 
believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life." 
But  the  teachings  on  this  most  interesting  occasion  went 
much  further;  and  tell  us  that  "God  so  loved  the  world, 
that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth 
in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life;"  a 
sentiment  which,  if  Jesus  had  never  uttered  any  thing  else, 
would  be  sufficient  to  be  the  life  of  the  world.  Many  a 
perishing  sinner  has  found  it  so  to  be.  It  contains  in  itself 
what,  to  use  common  language,  may  be  termed  "a  whole 
body  of  divinity." 

The  Messiah,  after  this,  remained  a  short  time  in  Judea, 
during  which  his  disciples  were  administering  the  new 
ordinance  of  baptism  to  the  multitudes  offering  themselves. 
Reports  were  quickly  carried  to  the  Pharisees  that  the  num- 
ber even  exceeded  those  who  were  resorting  to  John;1  and 
the  disciples  of  the  latter  hearing  a  similar  rumor,  hurried 
to  their  Master  with  a  complaint  to  similar  effect.  John 
stopped  complaints  quickly  by  declaring  that  the  Messiah 
"must  increase,  but  he  must  decrease.  He  that  cometh  from 
above  is  above  all:  he  that  is  of  the  earth  is  earthly,  and 
speak eth  of  the  earth :  he  that  cometh  from  heaven  is  above 
all.  *  *  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life: 
and  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life ;  but  the 
wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him."2 

But  the  career  of  the  Baptist  was  approaching  towards  its 
close.  After  remaining  for  a  while  at  Bethabara,  he  had 
removed  to  "Enon  near  to  Salim,"  a  spot  apparently  about 
six  miles  north-east  from  Jerusalem,  where,  in  a  valley 


1  John  iv.  1,  2.  *  John  iii.  26-36. 


JOHN'S  IMPRISONMENT.  133 

sometimes  narrowing  till  it  becomes  a  rock-lined  ravine, 
half-a-dozen  springs  of  the  purest  water  burst  from  rocky 
crevices  at  various  intervals,  and  form  a  stream  "rivalling 
the  atmosphere  itself  in  transparency,  of  depths  varying 
from  a  few  inches  to  a  fathom  and  more,  shaded  on  one  or 
both  sides  by  umbrageous  fig-trees,  and  sometimes  contained 
in  naturally-excavated  basins  of  red  mottled  marble — an  occa- 
sional variegation  of  the  common  limestone  of  the  country;" 
the  quantity  of  water  "sufficient  to  drive  several  mills."1 
John  had  been  preaching  and  administering  the  new  ordi- 
nance for  about  a  year  and  a  half,  when  he  was  seized  by 
the  soldiers  of  Herod  Antipas,  and  was  hurried  off  to  the 
castle  of  Macherus,  situated  towards  the  southern  end  of 
Perea,  and  not  far  from  the  north-eastern  borders  of  the 
Dead  Sea.  His  voice,  which  had  rung  out  so  boldly  against 
all  wicked  men,  while  it  was  also  gentle  to  the  penitent,  had 
now  given  unpardonable  offence  in  the  royal  household  itself, 
and  the  implacable,  deadly  hate  of  a  woman  had  been  aroused. 

Herod  in  one  of  his  journeys  had  become  enamored  of 
Herodias,  wife  of  his  brother  Philip,  and  although  she  was 
his  niece  he  persuaded  her  to  leave  her  husband  and  form  a 
new  connection  with  himself.  John  fearlessly  denounced 
the  libertine  act,  and  so  brought  upon  himself  the  wrath  of 
the  king  and  the  vengeance  of  the  still  more  vindictive  para- 
mour. Herod  doubtless  gave  out  the  report  such  as  we 
have  seen  in  a  former  chapter  as  stated  by  Josephus,  but  the 
result  to  John  a  year  and  a  half  after  this  fully  verifies  the 
Scripture  account. 

We  accompany  the  bold,  brave  man  to  his  place  of  con- 


1  These  extracts  are  from  Dr.  Barclay's  "City  of  the  Great  King;" 
ind  biblical  geographers  must  feel  greatly  indebted  to  our  country- 
man for  establishing  so  undoubtedly  the  site  of  "  Enon  near  to  Salim" 
which  had  previously  been  a  matter  of  uncertainty,  but  was  gener- 
ally supposed  to  be  in  Galilee,  near  Scythopolis  (Bethshean),  although 
it  was  difficult  to  harmonize  the  place  with  Scriptural  accounts. 
12 


134      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

finement;  we  see  him  whose  life  had  always  been  so  free 
and  untrammeled,  shut  up,  and  wearing  away  his  energies 
in  the  prison-house ;  we  watch  him  day  after  day  wonder- 
ing whether  relief  would  not  come,  whether  the  tyrant  would 
not  relent,  whether  the  Divine  power  would  not  interpose, 
and  we  find  him  still  a  prisoner  there,  till  his  heart  was 
weary  and  sick  amid  his  blighted  hopes. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
IN  SAMARIA  AND    GALILEE. 

was  immeasurably  in  advance  of  the  Jewish 
^  nation  in  all  his  doctrines,  and  this  advanced  position 
added  greatly  to  the  difficulty  in  successful  teaching;  for, 
not  only  were  the  minds  of  his  hearers  slow  in  compre- 
hending him,  but  moreover  the  truth  when  comprehended 
was  frequently  quite  out  of  harmony  with  all  that  they  had 
ever  before  conceived.  The  idea  of  man's  universal  brother- 
hood, so  familiar  to  our  minds  through  Christianity,  was 
an  entire  novelty  to  the  Jews,  and  was  utterly  repulsive  as 
well  as  new.  Even  after  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  at 
Pentecost  a  miracle  was  necessary  in  order  to  bring  Peter  to 
enter  for  the  sake  of  religious  instruction  into  the  house  of 
a  devout  Gentile,  and  he  was  reproved  by  his  brethren  for 
doing  so :  "  Thou  wentest  in  to  men  uncircumcised,  and 
didst  eat  with  them." 

We  must  bear  in  memory  all  this  cramped  and  fettered 
condition  of  the  national  mind  as  we  follow  the  Messiah 
and  his  disciples  in  their  journeyings,  and  in  his  glorious 
teachings  to  them  or  to  the  assembled  multitudes. 


IN  SAMARIA   AND   GALILEE.  135 

He  did  not  remain  long  in  Judea,  but  returned  to  Galilee, 
passing  through  Samaria  which  was  the  most  direct  way. 

About  twenty-five  miles  from  Jerusalem  the  road  de- 
scends into  a  plain  extending  northwardly  about  twelve 
miles,  and  about  half  way  along  this  plain  brings  the  tra- 
veller to  where  a  narrow  valley  between  two  mountains 
opens  suddenly  at  his  left.  This  spot  is  exceeded  in  interest 
only  by  Jerusalem  itself;  for,  of  those  two  mountains,  that 
on  the  south  is  Gerizim,  the  northern  is  Ebal ;  and  the  tra- 
veller is  here  also  by  a  well  unmistakably  dug  by  the  patri- 
arch Jacob,  while  a  small  edifice  a  short  way  off  shows  un- 
doubtedly the  burial-place  of  the  remains  of  Joseph  brought 
from  Egypt1  in  that  long  journey  of  forty  years.  It  is  gra- 
tifying to  be  able  so  fully  to  identify  all  these  places  after 
such  a  lapse  of  time.  The  mountains  are  about  800  feet  in 
height,  rugged,  and  in  places  precipitous,  and  with  only  a 
few  olive  trees  to  relieve  their  desolate  appearance.  The 
valley  between  them  is  400  yards  wide,  and  ascends  gently 
westward  till  at  a  distance  of  a  mile  and  a  half  we  come  to 
the  city  of  Nablus,  the  Shcchem  of  ancient  times  lying  on  its 
southern  side.  From  this  onward  toward  the  west  it  widens, 
is  abundantly  supplied  with  springs,  and  is  a  region  of  ex- 
treme fertility ;  six  miles'  travel  in  that  direction  brings  us 
to  the  city  of  Samaria.  Gerizim  has  on  its  summit  exten- 
sive remains  of  its  ancient  temple ;  near  its  foot,  on  the 
great  plain,  is  Jacob's  well ;  Joseph's  tomb  is  a  little  to  the 
north  of  the  well,  just  where  the  middle  of  the  narrow  val- 
ley opens  to  the  plain. 

It  is  easy  standing  there  to  imagine  the  scene,  when,  in 
Joshua's  time,  all  Israel  were  gathered  there,  according  to 
the  former  command  of  Moses,  one-half  on  each  mountain  ; 
those  on  Gerizim  to  utter  the  blessings,  and  those  on  Ebal 
the  curses  previously  detailed,  to  each  of  which  as  uttered 


1  Ex.  xiii.  19;  Josh.  xxiv.  32. 


136       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 


Gerizim.  I      Jacob's      I       Joseph's      I    Ebal. 
I       well.        I        tomb.        | 

Viewed  from  the  East. 

the  whole  congregation  were  to  respond  Amen — a  wonderful 
and  most  solemn  scene.  It  is  easy  also  to  imagine  the  Sa- 
maritans in  generations  afterward,  when  half-heathenish  from 
the  admixture  of  foreign  nations  they  had  been  refused  fel- 
lowship by  the  Jews,  and  had  erected  a  rival  temple  in  Ge- 
rizim, ascending  to  it  with  a  grim  hatred  and  jealousy  of 
their  neighbors,  who  boasted  of  their  superior  claims  to 
Divine  favor.1  So  too  we  may  conceive  the  undisguised 
contempt  for  them  by  the  Jews,  felt  and  sometimes  mani- 
fested as  the  latter  had  to  traverse  their  country  in  passing 
directly  between  Judea  and  Galilee.  Notwithstanding  that 
"what  a  Samaritan  ate  as  food  became  from  that  fact  as 
swine's  flesh  in  the  eyes  of  a  Jew;"  that  ^no  Samaritan 
might  be  made  a  proselyte/'  and  "  no  one  of  them  would 


1  One  beneficial  result  of  this  jealousy  has  been  to  bring  down  to  us, 
through  a  period  of  2800  years,  two  distinct  copies  of  the  Pentateuch, 
without  fear  of  there  ever  having  been  collusion  between  the  copyists. 
Both  copies  are  alike.  The  Samaritans  still  exist  at  Nabliis  as  a  distinct 
people ;  few  however  are  left,  and  the  nation  seems  to  be  near  extinction. 


IN  SAMARIA   AND    GALILEE.  137 

by  any  possibility  in  Jewish  timation  attain  to  everlasting 
life;"  still  there  were  probably  some  Jews  residing  there  for 
trade,  as  they  did  also  among  the  Gentile  nations. 

With  such  feelings  as  the  ancient  history  of  this  most  in- 
teresting region  was  adapted  to  produce,  Christ  and  his  dis- 
ciples had  travelled  along  this  plain  leading  by  the  two 
mountains,  and  reached  the  celebrated  well  about  the  mid- 
dle of  the  day.  Wearied  he  sat  down  there  to  rest,  while 
his  followers  went  into  the  city  to  purchase  food ;  and  as  he 
sat,  there  came  to  the  spot  to  procure  water  a  woman  from 
whom  he  asked  a  drink.  There  is  still,  not  far  from  the 
well,  a  village  called  Aschar  which  may  be  the  same  place 
as  Sychar,  from  which  she  came,  but  more  probably  she 
was  from  Shechem,  the  present  Nablus,  and  came  this  dis- 
tance for  water  on  account  of  a  superstitious  belief  in  the 
efficacy  of  Jacob's  well ;  for  her  life  was  one  that  might 
readily  lead  her  to  any  extraneous  help  in  an  endeavor  to 
quiet  her  conscience.  In  reply  to  the  request  for  drink  she 
questioned  the  Messiah,  "  How  is  it  that  thou,  being  a  Jew, 
askest  drink  of  me,  which  am  a  woman  of  Samaria?"  and 
a  conversation  ensued  in  which  he  said  to  her,  "  But  whoso- 
ever drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  never 
thirst;  but  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  be  in  him  a 
well  of  water  springing  up  into  everlasting  life."  Other 
words  there  were  from  him,  some  of  which  were  astonishing 
indeed,  coming  from  one  of  his  nationality ;  for  he  said, 
"  Woman,  believe  me,  the  hour  cometh,  when  ye  shall  neither 
in  this  mountain,  nor  yet  at  Jerusalem,  worship  the  Father ;" 
and  soon  afterward  he  declared  to  her  his  Messiahship — 
authority  sufficient  for  breaking  down  all  the  old  distinc- 
tions of  time  and  place,  and  making  a  fraternity  of  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth.  "The  hour  cometh,"  he  said,  "when 
the  true  worshippers  shall  worship  the  Father  in  spirit  and 
in  truth :  for  the  Father  seeketh  such  to  worship  him." 
The  disciples  now  arriving  from  their  mission  were  sur- 

12  * 

- 


138      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

prised  to  find  him  in  social  conversation  with  a  woman  of 
Samaria,  but  they  kept  their  wonder  in  silence,  not  daring  to 
question  him.  But  if  astonished  at  this,  how  much  greater 
was  their  astonishment  when  not  long  afterward  they  saw 
him  proceed  to  Shechem  to  be  there  a  guest  of  the  Samaritans. 
The  woman  had  gone  up  to  the  city  and  had  spread  such 
reports  of  him  that  the  citizens  came  out  and  "besought 
him  that  he  would  tarry  with  them,"  which  he  did  for  two 
days. 

His  disciples  might  indeed  well  be  filled  with  wonder  j 
for  it  was  an  entire  breaking  down  of  the  old  wall  of  sepa- 
ration: it  was  an  entire  giving  up  of  all  old  feelings  of 
pride,  contempt  and  hatred :  it  was  a  substitution  of  affec- 
tion and  kindness:  it  was  an  opening  of  the  Jewish  heart  to 
take  the  hated  Samaritans  in.  They  were  not  prepared  for 
this;  and  shrinkingly  they  followed  their  Master  with 
many  a  protest  in  the  lowest  depths  of  their  nature ;  many 
a  recoil  which  their  feelings  for  Christ,  full  of  love  and 
reverence  as  they  were  and  full  of  confidence,  could  yet  not 
prevent  them  from  having,  and  probably  at  times  also  mani- 
festing. Peter's  impulses  were  ever  ready  to  break  out,  and 
often  got  the  mastery  over  him  in  secret  if  not  in  public. 
Even  John,  full  of  love  as  he  was,  came  with  reluc- 
tance into  this  strange  fraternizing  with  men  so  long  de- 
spised and  slighted,  if  not  hated.  Indeed  there  must  have 
been  a  great  tumult  in  the  souls  of  all  these  disciples,  as 
during  those  two  days  they  not  only  had  to  witness  but  to 
become  sharers  in  this  new  condition  of  fellowship  with 
Samaritans;  as  recoiling  all  the  while,  they  were  yet  held  to 
their  fidelity  by  the  wonderful  force  of  that  love  and  good- 
ness which  they  saw  to  be  in  Christ? 

What  a  power  there  is  in  thus  teaching  by  example! 
Long  afterward  when  their  Master  had  ascended  to  heaven 
and  had  left  them  to  their  own  guidance  under  the  help 
of  the  Holy  Spirit;  when  Peter  was  sent  to  Samaria  to 


IN  SAMARIA  AND    GALILEE.  139 

preach  and  to  establish  a  church  among  the  dwellers  there ; 
and  when  John  far  off  at  Ephesus  and  Smyrna,  had  to  seek 
for  companionship  and  brotherhood  chiefly  among  Gentiles ; 
then  they  remembered  these  scenes  at  Jacob's  well  and  at 
Shechem,  and  they  blessed  God  for  such  a  teacher,  by  ex- 
ample as  well  as  by  precept. 

The  Samaritans  were  powerfully  affected  by  both,  and 
when  he  left  their  city  they  declared, 

"  We  know  that  this  is  indeed  the  Christ,  the  Saviour  of 
the  world." 

In  Galilee  to  which  he  now  proceeded,  reports  concerning 
him  were  spreading  rapidly;  for  people  from  all  that  re- 
gion had  been  to  the  Passover:  and  they  were  telling  every- 
where what  they  had  seen  and  heard  at  Jerusalem.  Among 
that  simple  agricultural  people,  accustomed  to  regard  with 
reverence  everything  belonging  to  their  religious  metropolis, 
the  news  was  astounding: — and  deepest  interest,  wonder, 
hopes,  doubts,  agitations  of  all  kinds,  met  Christ  and  his 
disciples  here,  and  were  depicted  on  people's  countenances 
wherever  he  went.  An  added  rumor  now  gave  intensity  to 
this  interest;  for  it  was  asserted  that  in  Samaria,  he  had  de- 
clared himself  to  be  the  Messiah,  the  Christ.1  Astonishing 
as  this  claim  was  to  every  one,  it  gathered  force  as  people 
gazed  and  listened;  for  he  began  immediately  to  preach  in 
their  synagogues,  and  it  was  evident  to  their  apprehensions 
that  there  was  something  most  extraordinary  in  his  words 
and  looks.  He  "had  returned  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit:" 
and  if  in  after  times  the  face  of  Stephen  was  "as  it  had  been 
the  face  of  an  angel,"  as  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  he 
spoke  before  the  council  of  Jerusalem,  what  must  have  been 
the  sight  here  as  Christ  preached  in  these  synagogues,  his 
countenance  lighted  up  with  the  Divine  expression,  his  eyes 
gleaming  in  the  supernatural  afflatus,  his  doctrines  sublime 


1  See  John  iv.  26. 


*4°      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

though  clear,  his  manner  having  the  stamp  of  authority, 
while  at  the  same  time  it  was  winning  and  gentle!  The  re- 
sult might  well  be  as  we  are  told  in  the  Scripture  that  it  was, 
"He  was  glorified  of  all."1 

Proceeding  thus  onward  he  came  again  to  Cana,  the  scene  of 
the  marriage  feast.  There  a  man  hurried  into  his  presence. 
What  a  look  there  was  in  that  man's  eyes  of  entreaty,  hope, 
anxiety:  all  that  would  be  in  a  father's  face  when  a  son  was 
sick,  near  to  death,  and  here  might  be  relief!  He  was  a  noble- 
man of  Capernaum  which  was  about  fifteen  miles  distant :  he 
had  heard  that  Christ  had  returned  from  Judea  to  Galilee, 
and  had  hastened  to  him,  and  his  beseeching  cry  was  "to 
come  down  and  heal  his  son."  His  entreaty  seemed  to 
be  warded  off: 

"  Except  ye  see  signs  and  wonders  ye  will  not  believe." — 

— He  broke  in  with  the  exclamation, 

"  Sir,  come  down  ere  my  child  die." 

"  Go  thy  way  ;  thy  son  liveth." 

— The  man  must  have  sprung  to  his  feet  with  joy ;  for 
he  believed.  He  hurried  homeward ;  and  was  met  on  the 
road  by  his  servants  coming  to  inform  him  that  his  son  was 
alive,  and  that  the  fever  had  left  him.  On  inquiry  it  was 
known  that  the  relief  came  when  the  healing  words  were 
pronounced  at  Cana :  and  the  father  "  believed,  and  his 
whole  house."2 


1  Luke  iv.  14-15.  2  See  John  iv.  46-53. 


AT  NAZARETH.  141 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
AT  NAZARETH. 

IT  was  putting  the  claims  of  Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah,  the 
Christ,  to  a  very  severe  ordeal  for  him  now  to  visit  Naza- 
reth, where  he  had  been  brought  up,  where  he  had  worked 
at  the  trade  of  his  reputed  father,  a  carpenter,  and  where 
all  feelings  of  jealousy  if  not  of  indignant  wrath  at  such 
claims  would  certainly  be  aroused,  and  might  result  in  vio- 
lence itself. 

Yet  he  went.  And  although  the  inhabitants  appear  to 
have  been  exceptional  among  the  frank  and  genial  Galile- 
ans, as  we  conclude  from  Nathaniel's  remark  about  the 
place ;  yet  here  at  the  very  outset  of  his  ministry,  he  pro- 
claimed himself  as  fulfilling  the  prophecy  respecting  the 
Messiah.  Could  these  people  have  ever  found  in  his  long 
residence  among  them — his  youth  and  manhood — aught  else 
than  a  perfect  life,  they  would  on  this  occasion  have  over- 
whelmed him  with  vituperation :  but  in  their  crowded  syna- 
gogue there  was  but  one  voice  raised — there  could  be  but 
one,  and  that  was  only  against  the  astounding  nature  of  his 
claim.  "  He  the  Christ !  !"  We  will  soon  enter  into  the 
synagogue  with  him,  and  witness  that  scene. 

First,  of  the  place  itself  and  its  surroundings,  amid  which 
Jesus  had  been  brought  up. 

No  portions  of  Palestine  are  so  grand  in  general  features, 
or  so  interesting  in  detail  as  those  immediately  surrounding 
Nazareth  and  in  view  from  the  adjoining  heights.  The 
town  lies  imbedded  in  a  range  of  hills  running  east  and 
west,  forming  the  northern  boundary  of  the  plain  of  Es- 
draelon,  which  spreads  out  immense  in  extent,  yet  with 


142     LIFE-SCENES  FROM   THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

scenery  varied  in  every  part.  The  eastern  edge  of  this  plain 
may  be  said  to  rest  on  the  Jordan,  along  which  it  extends 
north  and  south  about  twenty-four  miles.  Carmel  running 
north-west  and  south-east,  forms  its  other  boundary.  Only 
the  western  end  about  seventeen  miles  across  can  be  called 
level,  its  eastern  portion  being  rolling  like  our  prairies ; 
while  also  in  that  part  rise  Mount  Gilboa,  1,300  feet  high, 
Little  Hermon,  1,862  feet,  and  Tabor,  1,800  feet,  the  last 
oonnected  with  a  spur  running  out  from  the  Nazareth  range. 
The  foot  of  Tabor  is  about  six  miles  east  from  Nazareth. 


Nazareth  as  it  is  now,  viewed  from  the  South-East. 

This  town  is  reached  by  a  short  valley  running  up  from 
the  plain,  and  rests  on  the  western  side  of  a  recess  a  mile 
in  length  by  half  a  mile  in  width.  It  contains  now  about 
3000  inhabitants,  probably  about  the  same  number  as  in  the 
Saviour's  time.  Thompson  says,  "  The  valley  is  certainly 
small,  but  then  the  diiferent  swellings  of  the  surrounding  hills 
give  the  idea  of  repose  and  protection."1  Among  the  hills 
are  precipitous  rocky  bluffs  adjoining  the  town. 

Robir.jon  who  was  by  no  means  given  to  enthusiasm  in 

1  "  The  Land  and  the  Book." 


AT  NAZARETH.  143 

his  descriptions,  thus  speaks  of  the  prospect  from  the  hill 
immediately  back  of  Nazareth,  the   summit   of  which    is 
1,100  feet  above  the  sea ; — a  spot  to  which  doubtless  the 
Saviour  had  often  withdrawn  for  enjoyment  and  reflection, 
while  his  earthly  life  was  growing  up  in  that  grandeur  which 
harmonized  so  well  with  this  scene.     That  traveller  says : 
"  I  walked  out  alone  to  the  top  of  the  hill  over  Nazareth, 
where  stands  the  neglected  Wely  of  Neby  Isma'il.     Here 
quite  unexpectedly,  a  glorious  prospect  opened  on  the  view. 
The  air  was  perfectly  clear  and  serene ;  and  I  shall  never 
forget  the  impression  I  received,  as  the  enchanting  panorama 
burst  suddenly  upon  me.     There  lay  the  magnificent  plain 
of  Esdraelon,  or  at  least  all  its  western  part ;  on  the  left  was 
seen  the  round  top  of  Tabor  over  the  intervening  hills,  with 
portions  of  the  Little  Hermon  and  Gilboa,  and  the  opposite 
mountains  of  Samaria,  from  Jenin  westward  to  the  lower 
hills  extending  towards  Carmel.     Then  came  the  long  line 
of  Carmel  itself  with  the  convent  of  Elias  on  its  northern 
end,  and  Haifa  on  the  shore  at  its  foot.     In  the  west  lay  the 
Mediterranean  gleaming  in  the  morning  sun;  seen  first  far 
off  in  the  south  on  the  left  of  Carmel ;  then  intercepted  by 
that  mountain,  and  again  appearing  on  its  right,  so  as  to  in- 
clude the  whole  bay  of  'Akka,  and  the  coast  stretching  far 
north  to  a  point  N.  10°  W.     'Akka  itself  (Ptolemais,  now 
St.  Jean  d'Acre)  was  not  visible,  being  hidden  by  interven- 
ing hills.     Below,  on  the  north  was  spread  out  another  of 
the  beautiful  plains  of  northern  Palestine  called  el-Buttauf ; 
it  runs  from  east  to  west,  and  its  waters  are  drained  off 
westward  through  a  narrow  valley  to  the  Kislion,  (el-Muk- 
atta)  at  the  base  of  Carmel.     On  the  southern  border  of  the 
plain  the  eye  rested  on  a  large  village  near  the  foot  of  an 
isolated  hill,  with  a  ruined  castle  on  the  top ;  this  was  Se- 
furiah,  the  ancient  Sepphoris  or  Dio  CaBsarea.     Beyond  the 
plain  of  el-Buttauf,  long  ridges  running  from  east  to  west  rise 
one  higher  than  another  until  the  mountains  of  Safed  over- 


H4     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

top  them  all,  on  which  that  place  is  seen — i  a  city  set  upon 
a  hill/  Further  towards  the  right  is  a  sea  of  hills  and 
mountains,  backed  by  the  higher  ones  beyond  the  Lake  of 
Tiberias,  and  in  the  north-east  by  the  majestic  Hermon,  with 
its  icy  crown.  *  *  I  remained  for  some  hours  upon  this 
spot,  lost  in  contemplation  of  the  wide  prospect,  and  of  the 
events  connected  with  the  scenes  around.  In  the  village 
below,  the  Saviour  of  the  world  had  passed  his  childhood  ; 
and  although  we  have  few  particulars  of  his  life,  yet  there 
are  certain  features  of  nature  which  meet  our  eyes  now  just 
as  they  once  met  his."1 

Among  such  scenes  Jesus  had  lived,  doubtless  in  far  more 
hearty  communion  with  them  than  with  his  townsmen  of 
Nazareth.  He  might  now  look  for  a  more  favorable  recep- 
tion of  his  teachings  in  any  other  part  of  Galilee  than  in 
this  place ;  for,  even  if  its  people  had  been  of  a  better  de- 
scription of  character  than  they  were,  still  the  jealousies  felt 
towards  one  who  had  grown  up  among  them  with  no 
advantages  of  education  or  position,  and  who  yet  had 
suddenly  become  distinguished  by  fame,  and  was  asserting 
such  remarkable  claims,  would  predispose  them  to  regard 
him  with  suspicion  if  not  with  hostility.  The  rumors  that 
must  have  been  brought  to  them  were  startling; — the 
proclamation  of  John,  the  scenes  at  Jerusalem,  the  miracles, 
his  teachings  in  the  synagogues ;  there  was  in  all  this  some- 
thing to  shake  their  prejudices  and  to  puzzle  and  perplex 
them ;  but  they  argued,  "  Are  not  his  parents  here  with  us ; 
his  brothers  and  sisters?"  Prejudice  still  had  rule;  and  the 
very  greatness  of  his  claims  made  the  barriers  to  their  belief 
in  him  the  stronger.  When  the  citizens  of  Nazareth  heard, 
therefore,  that  he  had  come  among  them,  and  was  about  to 
proclaim  his  doctrines  in  their  synagogues,  there  was  a  great 
agitation  in  the  community ; — anger,  disdain,  envy,  and 
probably  old  dislikes,  against  one  who  had  in  life  and  char- 

1  "  Biblical  Researches." 


AT  NAZARETH.  145 

acter  always  been  so  different  from  themselves; — all  this 
mingling  with  the  intense  curiosity,  which  was  in  every  one's 
heart.  One  thing,  they  reasoned,  might  possibly  satisfy 
them,  namely,  a  miracle;  and  they  might  feel  that  they  had 
a  higher  claim  to  miracles  than  Cana,  or  even  Jerusalem 
itself.  Keport  had  told  them  of  wonders  performed  in  both 
these  places;  perhaps  they  would  witness  similar,  or  even 
greater  things,  in  Nazareth.  So  they  hoped.  Candor  and 
fair  judgment  could  not  be  expected  among  such  a  people; 
and  a  teacher  given  to  expediencies  would  have  avoided,  in 
this  preaching  in  their  synagogue,  anything  that  would  be 
offensive  to  them ;  that  is,  any  prominence  to  the  high  claims 
of  being  the  Messiah,  and  any  allusion  to  their  desire  for  a 
miracle  to  gratify  curiosity.  But  Christ  was  not  given  to 
consult  expediencies  rather  than  the  truth. 

People  had  hurried  to  the  synagogue.  He  was  there  also; 
his  face  had  long  been  a  familiar  one  in  that  place.  The 
congregation  looked  upon  it  variously ;  some  trying  whether 
they  could  discover  in  it  traces  of  that  mysterious  power 
with  which  he  was  said  to  be  endowed ;  some  resistingly,  yet 
still,  in  their  unwillingness,  half- impressed  by  a  strange 
Presence  that  there  was  in  him ;  some  scouting  it  all ;  some 
stupidly  curious;  all  watchful,  and  with  few  exceptions, 
predisposed  to  be  skeptical,  whatever  might  occur.  The 
service  began.  The  whisperings  and  surmises  and  cavillings 
had  now  ceased.  All  felt  the  power  of  the  solemn  worship 
stealing  over  their  disturbed  hearts ;  and  they  perhaps  felt 
that  there  was  an  additional  impressiveness,  as  if  some 
supernatural  power  was  breathing  over  them  and  through 
all  the  room. 

The  doxology  was  sung ;  then  came  the  reading  from  the 
Mosaic  law ;  then  the  second  doxology  was  chanted  : — still 
there  had  been  no  unusual  demonstration, — only  the  senti- 
ment that  a  supernatural  power  might  possibly  be  in  their 
midst,  and  a  consequent  impressiveness  which  people  could 

13 


146      LIFE-SCENES  FROM 'THE   FOUR    GOSPELS. 

read  in  each  other's  eyes,  with  a  half-subdued,  a  half- 
angry  manner,  as  if  the  heart  was  resenting  what  it  could 
not  help  but  feel. 

Now  came  in  order  the  reading  of  the  prophets.  It  was 
customary  for  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue  to  invite  readers 
and  speakers,  unless  some  one  voluntarily  offered  himself; 
and  Jesus  presented  himself  for  that  purpose  now.  He 
opened  at  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  and  read : — 

"The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,  because  he  hath 
anointed  me  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  poor ;  he  hath  sent 
me  to  heal  the  broken-hearted,  to  preach  deliverance  to  the 
captives,  and  recovering  of  sight  to  the  blind,  to  set  at 
liberty  them  that  are  bruised,  to  preach  the  acceptable  year 
of  the  Lord." 

It  was  a  well-known  prophecy  referring  to  the  Messiah ; 
and  often,  through  the  long  years  since  Isaiah's  time,  had 
the  Jews  fed  themselves  with  glorious  hopes  from  these 
words  and  those  immediately  following.  He  closed  the 
book  and  handed  it  back  to  the  minister,  and  sat  down, — 
the  posture  of  speakers. — What  a  breathless  silence  there 
was  in  that  assembly  !  He  broke  it  by  saying : 

"This  day  is  this  Scripture  fulfilled  in  your  ears/' 

It  was  a  re-assertion  of  that  which  they  understood  he 
had  claimed,  now  made  directly  before  them;  but  hostility 
was  for  the  present  repressed ;  for  there  was  something  in 
his  look  and  manner  that  made  astonishment  keep  other 
feelings  in  check;  that  strange  Presence  giving  authority  to 
his  words.  « 

By  Presence  is  meant  that  something  undefinable  which 
has  impressiveness  in  any  company  where  a  person  of  great 
distinction  and  worth  is  felt  to  be ; — in  this  case  greatly 
heightened  by  "the  power  of  the  Spirit"  which  had  previ- 
ously been  noticed  as  "returning  with  him  into  Galilee."1 


Luke  iv.  14. 


AT  NAZARETH.  147 

The  people  of  Nazareth  whispered  to  each  other,  "Is  not 
this  Joseph's  son  ?"  and  the  question  would  express  not  only 
astonishment,  but,  among  many,  rage  also  at  his  claims. 
There  was  a  mixed  feeling;  and  it  would  soon  show  itself 
among  these  demonstrative  people.  He  saw  their  feelings, 
and  gave  them  a  warning ;  for  he  now  began  to  speak  again, 
and  as  he  did  so  silence  fell  on  the  assembly. 

"  Ye  will  surely  say  unto  me  this  proverb,  Physician  heal 
thyself!  whatsoever  we  have  heard  done  in  Capernaum  do 
also  here  in  thy  country." 

Their  hopes  were  high,  their  curiosity  now  most  intense. 
Was  he  going  to  perform  a  miracle  there?  But  he  always 
reprobated  idle  curiosity,  and  especially  that  which  would 
desecrate  the  miracle-working  power  for  its  gratification. 
So  now  he  gave  the  reproof.  They  were  wound  up  to  the 
highest  expectancy,*  and  he  spoke,  "  Verily  I  say  unto  you 
no  prophet  is  accepted  in  his  own  country.  But  I  tell  you 
of  a  truth  many  widows  were  in  Israel  in  the  days  of  Eli  as, 
when  the  heaven  was  shut  up  three  years  and  six  months, 
when  great  famine  was  throughout  all  the  land ;  but  unto 
none  of  them  was  Elias  sent,  save  unto  Sarepta,  a  city  of 
Sidon,  [a  heathen  place],  and  unto  a  woman  that  was  a 
widow.  And  many  lepers  were  in  Israel  in  the  time  of 
Eliseus  the  prophet,  and  none  of  them  were  cleansed  save 
Naaman,  the  Syrian  [a  heathen]." 

There  was  a  storm  of  rage.  Every  angry  feeling  in  them 
was  roused  at  this  intimation  that  the  heathen  might  be  pre- 
ferred before  them.  They  rushed  upon  the  speaker,  and 
forgetting  all  else  than  what  they  considered  so  gross  an  in- 
sult to  their  nation  and  themselves,  they  hurried  him  out 
of  their  town  to  an  adjoining  precipice,  bent  on  hurling 
him  over.  But  their  rage  was  futile.  The  super-human 
power  was  now  exerted ;  "  he  passed  through  the  midst  of 
them  and  went  his  way,"  leaving  them  to  subdue  as  best 
they  might  their  impotent  wrath. 


148     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

He  came  thence  to  Capernaum,  and  now  he  made  that 
city  his  home, — such  a  home  at  least  as  his  frequent  journeys 
and  labors  would  admit ;  for  his  time  on  earth  was  not  to 
be  one  of  quiet  enjoyment,  but  of  self-denial  and  of  labor 
wherever  the  good  of  others  should  require. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
THE  LAKE   OF  GALILEE— CAPERNAUM. 

HOW  gem-like  amid  its  beautiful  environments,  even  in 
our  day,  is  the  Lake  of  Galilee  !  but  how  much  more 
beautiful  in  those  ancient  times !  Its  immediate  surround- 
ings are  sufficiently  marked  with  what  is  grand  in  nature  to 
give  it  something  of  that  character,  but  it  is  chiefly  remark- 
able for  a  gentle,  quiet,  lasting  beauty  which  never  tires ; 
for  this  beauty  has  every  variety  of  form,  and  changes  at 
every  hour  of  the  day.  Every  one  who  reads  the  Gospels 
appreciatingly  feels  that  he  must  love  this  lake  on  account 
of  its  associations,  but  it  is  a  place  very  lovely  in  itself  and 
in  the  natural  surroundings  with  which  it  is  enriched. 

The  approach  to  it  is  thus  described  by  Dr.  Olin,  one  of  the 
most  graphic  writers  of  travels  in  the  Holy  Land.  He  had 
been  journeying  all  the  day  over  the  plain  of  Esdraelon, 
which,  after  leaving  Mount  Tabor,  may  be  said  to  continue 
(though  with  a  more  undulating  surface)  in  a  northeasterly 
direction  quite  to  the  lake.  Toward  evening  he  came  to  a 
level  spot  of*great  fertility  and  under  cultivation,  the  thick 
grass  on  its  waste  places  sprinkled  over  with  flowers,  and  he 
says,  u  My  attention  had  been  so  fully  occupied  with  this 
scene  of  loveliness  and  these  unusual  tokens  of  industry  and 
cultivation,  always  the  more  striking  from  being  rare,  as  not 


THE  LAKE    OF 


I49 


to  have  heeded  our  progress  until  we  reached  the  eastern 
border  of  the  pJain.  We  were  now  upon  the  brow  of  what 
must  appear  to  the  spectator  at  its  base  a  lofty  mountain 
which  bounds  the  deep  basin  of  the  sea  of  Galilee,  and  forms 


LAKE   OF   GALILEE   AND   THENCE   TO    NAZARETH    AND    NAIN. 


13 


Scale  of  Statute  Miles. 


1.  Plain  of  Gennesaret. 

2.  Khan  Minyeh— supposed  site  of  Capernaum. 

3.  Tell  Hum— supposed  site  of  Capernaum. 

4.  Probably  an  extension  of  Bethsaida  into  Galilee. 


150      LIFE-SCENE*  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

the  last  step  in  the  descent  from  the  very  elevated  plain 
over  which  we  had  been  journeying  during  the  long  day. 
The  sun  had  just  set  behind  us  in  a  blaze  of  red  light  which 
filled  the  western  sky  for  many  degrees  above  the  horizon, 
and  was  slightly  reflected  from  the  smooth  glassy  surface  of 
the  beautiful  lake  whose  opposite  shore  was  visible  many 
miles  on  the  right  and  left,  rising  abruptly  out  of  the  water 
into  an  immense  and  continuous  bulwark  several  hundred 
feet  in  height,  grand  and  massive  but  softened  by  graceful 
undulations  and  covered  with  a  carpet  of  luxuriant  vegetation 
from  the  summit  quite  down  to  the  water's  edge.  Beyond 
the  lake  stretched  out  a  vast,  and  to  our  eye  a  boundless  region 
filled  up  with  a  countless  number  of  beautiful  rounded  hills, 
all  clad  in  verdure,  which  at  this  moment  was  invested  with 
a  peculiar  richness  of  coloring.  In  the  remote  distance, 
though  full  in  our  view,  the  snowy  top  of  Mount  Hermon 
was  still  glittering  and  basking  in  the  beams  of  the  sun, 
while  a  chaste,  cool  drapery  of  white  fleecy  clouds,  hung 
around  its  base.  The  green  graceful  form  of  Mount  Tabor 
was  behind  us,  while  on  the  broad  and  well-cultivated  plain 
the  numerous  fields  of  wheat,  now  of  a  dark  luxuriant  green, 
contrasted  very  strongly  and  strangely  with  intervening 
tracts  of  ploughed  ground.  Independently  of  sacred  asso- 
ciations this  was  altogether  a  scene  of  rare  and  unique  beauty, 
nay,  of  splendid  magnificence."1 

Dr.  Clarke,  the  English  traveller,  says,  "  It  may  be  de- 
scribed as  longer  and  finer  than  any  of  the  Cumberland 
lakes." 

It  is  in  shape  an  irregular  oval,  fourteen  miles  in  length 
by  seven  at  its  widest  part,  the  waters  of  great  transpa- 
rency and  165  feet  in  their  greatest  depth.  On  its  eastern 
side  the  mountains  rise  abruptly,  but  with  green,  sloping 
sides,  and  great  billows  of  such  hills  pass  to  the  east  as  far 


1  Olin's  Travels. 


THE  LAKE  OF  GALILEE.  153 

as  the  eye  reaches,  green  but  uninhabited  ;  as  seems  to  have 
been  chiefly  the  case  also  in  the  ancient  times.  On  the 
southwest  the  mountain  sides  are  in  successive  off-sets  like 
huge  terraces  a  thousand  feet  high  in  the  aggregate;  and 
there,  four  miles  from  the  southern  end  of  the  lake,  is  Tiberias, 
once  a  place  of  some  eminence  for  its  hot  baths  and  schools, 
now  decayed  and  almost  in  ruins  from  earthquakes  of  recent 
date.  Passing  northwardly  from  Tiberias  along  the  western 
border  of  the  lake  we  come  at  the  distance  of  three  miles, 
to  Mejdel,  the  ancient  Magdala,  and  soon  afterwards  to  a 
spot  where  the  mountains  sweep  backward  for  a  short  space 
and  leave  room  for  the  rich  plain  of  Gennesaret.  This 
plain,  for  reasons  which  will  presently  appear,  must  receive 
our  particular  attention,  which  indeed  apart  from  historical 
associations,  if  only  for  its  extreme  richness  it  might  well 
deserve.  It  lies  opposite  the  widest  part  of  the  lake,  a  little 
more  than  midway  along  toward  the  north,  and  is  nearly 
triangular  in  shape,  about  three  miles  in  length  by  a  mile 
and  a-half  in  its  greatest  width ;  is  perfectly  level  and  only 
a  few  feet  above  the  water.  It  is  a  place  of  surpassing  fer- 
tility. In  those  eastern  countries  wherever  water  can  be 
procured  for  irrigation,  the  vegetation  is  most  exuberant, 
and  even  the  sandy  shore  at  Jaffa,  seemingly  pure  silex,  is 
changed  by  artificial  watering  into  richly-productive  gar- 
dens ;  but  at  Gennesaret  the  soil,  a  dark  loam,  is  of  itself 
of  the  greatest  natural  richness,  while  four  very  large  foun- 
tains afford  water  that  in  ancient  times  was  carried  by  artifi- 
cial channels  all  over  the  plain.  On  its  south-west  side  is 
what  is  now  called  the  "  Round  Fountain/'  inclosed  by  a 
low,  circular  wall,  100  feet  in  diameter,  the  water  about  two 
feet  deep,  and  beautifully  limpid  and  sweet,  bubbling  up  and 
flowing  out  rapidly  in  a  large  stream  to  water  the  plain  be- 
low. Ten  minutes'  travel  northwardly  from  this,  conducts 
to  another  very  copious  stream  coming  down  through  a  break 
in  the  mountain ;  and  at  the  northern  end  of  the  plain  we 


154      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

have  another  large  fountain  gushing  out  from  beneath  the 
rocks,  while  around  this,  near  the  celebrated  Khan  Minyeh, 
other  smaller  fountains  are  clustered.  Close  by  this  last 
spot  the  mountain  comes  back  again  to  the  lake,  and  sends  a 
short  promontory  out  into  its  waters ;  but  a  fountain  a  mile 
further  north,  still  larger  than  any  of  the  former,  and  strong 
enough  to  turn  several  mills  as  it  bursts  from  the  rocks,  had 
its  waters  formerly  conveyed  by  artificial  channels  to  the 
plain  of  Gennesaret,  about  which  they  were  distributed  by 
similar  means.  The  abundant  supply  of  water,  the  natural 
fertility  of  the  soil,  the  depth  of  the  plain,  622  feet  below 
the  level  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  with  a  hotter  climate 
consequently  than  the  table-land  above,  together  with  the 
adjoining  lake,  make  this  spot  a  very  choice  one  in  Galilee, 
and  it  had  a  wide  reputation  in  ancient  times.  Josephus 
says  of  it:  "The  country  also  that  lies  over  against  this 
lake  hath  the  same  name  of  Gennesaret ;  its  nature  is  won- 
derful as  well  as  its  beauty.  Its  soil  is  so  fruitful  that  all 
sorts  of  trees  can  grow  upon  it,  and  the  inhabitants  accord- 
ingly plant  all  sorts  of  trees  there ;  for  the  temper  of  the  air 
is  so  well  mixed  that  it  agrees  very  well  with  those  several 
sorts,  particularly  walnuts,  which  require  the  coldest  air, 
flourish  there  in  vast  plenty ;  there  are  palm-trees  also  which 
grow  best  in  hot  air ;  fig-trees  also  and  olives  grow  near  them 
which  yet  require  an  air  that  is  more  temperate.  One  may 
call  this  place  the  ambition  of  nature,  where  it  forces  those 
plants  that  are  naturally  enemies  to  one  another  to  agree  to- 
gether ;  it  is  a  happy  contention  of  the  seasons,  as  if  every 
one  of  them  laid  claim  to  this  country,  for  it  not  only  nour- 
ishes different  sorts  of  autumnal  fruits  beyond  men's  expec- 
tations, but  preserves  them  a  great  while.  It  supplies  men 
with  the  principal  fruits — with  grapes  and  figs  continually — 
during  ten  months  in  the  year,  and  the  rest  of  the  fruits  as 
they  become  ripe  together  through  the  whole  year ;  for  be- 
sides the  good  temperature  of  the  air  it  is  also  watered  from 


THE  LAKE    OF   GALILEE.  155 

a  most  fertile  fountain."1  Khan  Minyeh  at  the  northern  end 
of  this  plain  is  distinguished  as  the  place  selected  by  many 
travellers  for  the  site  of  Capernaum.  There  is  a  mound 
there  with  some  ruins,  and  if  sentiment  only  were  to  be  con- 
sulted we  should  readily  choose  this  spot  by  the  cluster  of 
fountains,  where  the  adjoining  upward  slopes  of  ground 
allowed  the  view  to  extend  fully  over  the  garden-like  plain, 
as  well  as  over  the  beautiful  lake.  Arculfus,  a  French 
bishop  at  the  close  of  the  seventh  century,  mentions  Caper- 
naum as  existing  in  his  time  and  seen  by  him  from  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  lake,  and  the  description  he  gives  corre- 
sponds only  to  this  site  at  the  fountains  by  Khan  Miuyeh. 
Robinson  says  that  taking  into  consideration  all  the  circum- 
stances of  historical  allusions  and  descriptions,  he  is  disposed 
to  rest  in  the  conclusion  that  this  is  the  place. 

But  there  is  another  spot  three  miles  to  the  north  of  this 
which  puts  in  claims  considered  by  many  travellers  to  be  of 
a  more  valid  kind.  The  road  on  leaving  Khan  Minyeh, 
crosses  a  projection  of  land,  and  then  keeps  along  the  lake 
by  the  large  fountain  Tabiga  already  noticed,  so  copious  as  to 
turn  several  mills ;  and  then  two  miles  further  it  reaches  a 
projecting  point  or  rather  curve  of  the  shore  slightly  ele- 
vated above  the  water,  half  a  mile  long  by  a  quarter  in 
breadth,  covered  with  ruins  of  buildings,  among  which  are 
many  columns  and  remains  of  an  edifice  105  by  80  feet  in 
extent.  The  name  of  the  place  Tell  Hum,  is  thought  by 
Thompson  to  be  from  Kefr-na-Hum,  the  word  Kefr  or  vil- 
lage, having  given  way  to  Tell  or  mound,  from  the  heap  of 
rubbish  there.  That  writer  is  fully  in  favor  of  the  claims 
of  this  spot :  and  the  English  exploring  party  recently  sent 
out  by  an  Association  in  London,  assert  that  they  have  not 
only  established  the  identity  of  this  with  Capernaum,  but 
that  they  have  laid  open  the  foundation  of  the  syna- 


1  De  Bel.  cxi.  10,  §  8. 


156      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

gogue  of  our  Saviour's  time.  They  probably  refer  to  the 
large  building  noticed  by  Robinson  and"  Thompson,  the 
beautifully  colored  marbles  of  which  were  from  a  mountain 
not  far  from  the  place.  The  remains  of  the  dwelling-houses 
are  of  the  black,  compact  basalt  of  the  country,  and  may  be 
said  to  extend  to  the  fountain  of  Tabiga ;  probably  in  the 
whole  extent  of  shore  to  the  plain  of  Gennesaret  was  a  con- 
tinuation of  dwellings,  the  great  water-power  of  this  foun- 
tain being  adapted  to  draw  a  large  population  to  its 
neighborhood.  This  town  at  Tell  Hum  was  certainly  one  of 
some  consequence.1  Josephus  speaks  of  having  been  taken 
to  Capharnuome  or  Capernaum,  after  a  fall  from  his  horse 
in  which  he  was  hurt  near  the  northern  end  of  this  lake.2 

In  either  case,  whether  Capernaum  was  at  Khan  Minyeh 
or  Tell  Hum,  it  was  in  a  beautiful  as  well  as  most  populous 
region.  The  whole  of  the  plain  of  Gennesaret  was  doubt- 
less like  a  garden  with  many  valleys  interspersed  or  border- 
ing on  it ;  and  all  the  country  above  on  the  west,  was  full 
of  habitations  and  in  the  highest  state  of  culture.  Indeed 
the  whole  region  from  the  sea  of  Galilee  westward,  quite 
across  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  to  the  Mediterranean,  was  prob- 
ably by  far  the  most  fertile  and  populous  part  of  Palestine. 


1  The  distance  from  Tell  Hum  to  Nain  might  be  an  objection  to  this 
site,  if  we  suppose  that  Christ  made  the  journey  from  Capernaum  to 
Nain  (in  this  case  twenty-five  miles)  in  one  day.  See  Luke  vii.  11. 

2  Life,  \  72. 


CAPERNAUM  AND  GALILEE.  157 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
AT  CAPERNAUM  AND  THROUGH  GALILEE. 

ON  the  Sabbath  after  his  arrival  in  the  city  the  Messiah 
went  into  the  synagogue  and  taught.  People  were  as- 
tonished. It  was  not  the  jargon  of  the  Scribes  full  of  ob- 
scurities, and  often  of  absurdities,  such  as  have  come  down 
to  us  through  the  literary  remains  of  their  Rabbis,  but  was 
clear,  within  the  comprehension  of  his  hearers,  practical,  and 
had  an  authority  in  the  manner  of  delivery  corresponding  to 
the  words.  No  hesitancy  or  appearance  of  doubt  in  him  who 
spake ;  but  it  was  the  language  of  one  who  knew ;  whose 
eye  swept  through  all  parts  of  his  subject,  the  heavenly  as 
well  as  the  earthly,  the  Divine  as  well  as  the  human,  and 
who  felt  that  he  had  power  and  authority  thus  to  speak.1 
"  They  were  astonished  at  his  doctrine/7  says  the  history, 
"  for  his  word  was  with  power."2  In  the  synagogue  was  a 
demoniac,  whom  he  healed  by  his  word ;  and  afterward  in 
the  house  of  Peter,  he  restored  to  health  also  by  his  word, 
the  mother-in-law  of  that  disciple  sick  of  a  fever. 

Thus  the  early  part  of  the  Sabbath  was  passed  in  Caper- 
naum ;  a  time  full  of  wonder  and  of  strange  surmisings 
among  the  people.  Twice  had  this  teacher  declared  himself 
to  be  the  Messiah  ;  once  in  Samaria,  and  again  in  Nazareth  : 
but  he  was  so  different  from  the  Messiah  whom  the  nation 
had  expected :  for  here  was  no  earthly  pomp  or  glory,  and 
no  manifestation  of  a  desire  for  kingly  power ;  but  on  the 
other  hand  humility,  indifference  to  rank,  and  abnegation 
of  all  human  glory.  Yet  there  was  a  strange  mightiness  in 


1  Mark  i.  22.  2  Luke  iv.  32. 

14 


158     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

him.  The  spirits  obeyed  him.  Disease  left  the  wan  and 
haggard  frame  at  his  command,  and  health  flashed  over  the 
system  :  his  very  presence  had  a  power  in  it ;  his  manner  so 
gentle  and  winning,  still  inspired  respect ;  his  face  through 
which  the  inner  being  spoke  out,  seemed  to  be  stamped  with 
Divinity  itself. 

Such  was  this  teacher,  as  he  had  appeared  that  day,  in 
divine  instructions  in  the  synagogue,  and  afterward  among 
the  people,  filling  them  with  many  contradictory  and  per- 
plexing thoughts.  His  healing  powers,  however,  they  could 
understand,  and  these  stirred  them  immediately  into  action  ; 
and  there  was  a  hurrying  to  and  fro  not  only  in  the  city  but 
in  all  the  country  round  about.  For  the  warmest  and  most 
active,  as  well  as  the  most  blessed  sympathies  of  human 
nature  were  reached  in  this  case;  and  people  were  carrying  to 
the  bedsides  of  the  afflicted  the  cheering  news  that  a  healer 
was  among  them  whose  power  both  for  mental  and  for 
bodily  distress,  was  equal  to  every  disease.  If  we  would 
appreciate  the  gladness  of  such  tidings,  we  must  remember 
the  condition  of  medical  science  even  among  the  most 
learned  practitioners  at  that  time.  There  was  a  medical 
school  at  Antioch  in  Syria,  and  one  at  Alexandria ;  but  the 
facts  on  which  the  true  principles  of  that  science  are  built, 
are  of  subsequent  discovery ;  arid  in  Palestine  at  the  period 
spoken  of,  physicians  were  rare  and  were  little  to  be  relied 
on  when  they  could  be  procured.  The  sick  were  left  to  per- 
ish unaided,  or  were  administered  to  blindly  and  with 
doubtful  result.  A  modern  traveller  speaking  of  a  Mis- 
sionary Christian  physician  with  whom  he  was  journeying 
in  this  same  region  of  country,  says  of  him,  after  they  had 
stopped  one  evening,  subsequently  to  a  day's  explorations,— 
"Dr.  Kelley  is  still  busy  with  his  patients  who  are  all 
Druses  and  Mohammedans.  How  eagerly  they  listened  to 
him, — he  has  so  won  their  hearts  by  his  benevolent  aid  !  It 
is  truly  touching  to  see  how  the  poor  and  miserable  come  to 


CAPERNAUM  AND  GALILEE.  159 

him  for  help  for  the  body,  and  how  they  go  away  from  him 
with  the  first  tidings  [of  Christ]  that  ever  met  their  ears."1 

Evening  came  on  in  Capernaum  after  this  preaching  in 
the  synagogue ;  and  the  shadows  of  the  Galilean  hills  were 
cast  over  the  beautiful  lake,  and  went  ascending  the  green 
sides  of  the  opposite  mountains, — a  fair,  quiet,  Sabbath- 
evening  scene  without ;  but  within  the  city  all  was  fermen- 
tation and  bustle.  "  All  the  city  was  gathered  together  at 
the  door"  of  the  house  where  the  Messiah  was  staying. "The 
whole  region  was  stirred  up,  for  the  fame  of  Christ  as  a  per- 
son wonderful  in  healing  as  well  as  in  teaching  had  been 
rapidly  spread  abroad.  As  people  heard  of  this  certainty 
of  cure,  they  hurried  joyfully  to  communicate  the  intelli- 
gence to  the  sick.  What  intelligence  it  was!  The  wan 
from  suffering  grew  flushed  with  hope :  the  wasted  found 
sudden  energy,  and  came  panting  on  toward  the  Great 
Healer,  or  cried  to  friends  for  transportation :  the  despair- 
ing had  new  words  of  comfort  whispered  in  their  ears,  and 
took  courage  for  one  further  effort :  volunteer  aid  was  ready 
for  those  who  needed  it :  and  speedily  among  the  crowds  of 
the  curious  blocking  up  the  street,  were  intermingled  all 
forms  and  stages  of  disease  trying  to  force  their  way.  The 
dying, — could  his  power  reach  them?  So  the  anxious 
friends  queried  as  they  bore  their  precious  burdens  slowly 
and  tenderly  along.  The  chronic  cases  of  many  years, — 
could  they  be  healed?  The  plaintive  voice  so  long  sharp- 
ened by  pain,  and  almost  unused  to  any  other  than  outbursts  of 
anguish, — could  this  ever  be  changed  into  joy  and  praise?  O 
make  way !  Let  them  see  that  Jesus :  let  them  reach  this 
Deliverer :  let  them  come  before  him  that  he  may  see  the 
distorted  or  wasted  form  and  be  moved  to  pity !  And  on 
they  struggled ;  sometimes  shrieking  in  agony  as  the  crowd 
unwittingly  jostled  the  couch ;  sometimes  so  death-like  that 


•Van  deVe.de. 


160       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

consciousness  was  gone, — hope  however  attending,  and 
shown  in  the  tender  looks  bent  over  the  sufferer.  And  as 
the  sick  were  borne  along,  the  healed  met  them  with  shouts 
of  joy  and  praises  to  God  ;  while  the  wondering  crowds 
could  scarcely  believe  their  own  senses  as  they  saw  them  re- 
turn as  if  brought  alive  from  the  dead.  All  who  came  were 
healed, — the  diseased  both  in  body  and  mind. 

Thus  the  night  settled  down  over  Capernaum  an  agitated 
city'  full  of  wonder,  full  also  of  joy. 

The  Messiah,  however,  did  not  continue  there  long ;  for 
much  work  remained  to  be  done  in  other  parts  of  Galilee. 
Rising  in  the  morning,  long  before  day,  he  went  to  a  retired 
place  for  communion  with  Heaven ;  but  the  disciples  came 
to  him  there  with  the  annunciation  that  "all  men  were 
seeking  him."1  The  multitudes  followed  immediately  after, 
with  the  entreaty  that  he  would  stay  with  them ;  but  he 
replied,  "I  must  preach  the  kingdom  of  God  to  other  cities 
also ;  for  thereto  am  I  sent."2 

Peter  and  Andrew,  and  also  James  and  John,  had  before 
this  returned  temporarily  to  their  former  occupation  as 
fishermen ;  but  having  here  received  a  more  formal  call  to 
disci  pi  eship,  they  were  with  him  again ;  and  henceforward 
continued  to  be  his  followers  until  the  end  of  his  ministry. 

He  proceeded  now  to  traverse  Galilee  once  more,  preach- 
ing and  healing  as  he  went.  The  multitude  joining  and 
following  him  had  become  very  great;  for  his  fame  had 
extended  throughout  Syria,  and  to  the  great  cities  of  Decap- 
olis  east  of  the  Jordan  ;  and  people  from  all  those  regions, 
and  from  Jerusalem,  and  Judea  generally,  as  well  as  from 
all  parts  of  Galilee  were  hurrying  to  him :  and  the  sick 
were  brought, — "all  sick  people  that  were  taken  with  divers 
diseases  and  torments,  and  those  which  were  possessed  with 


Mark  i.  37.  2  Luke  iv.  43. 


CAPERNAUM  AND  GALILEE.  161 

devil?,  and  those  which  were  lunatic,  and  those  that  had  the 
palsy;  and  he  healed  them."1 

What  strange  sensations  there  must  have  been  among  all 
these  multitudes  in  Galilee,  so  intent  and  scrutinizing, 
watching  the  sick  coming  up,  and  beholding  them  immedi- 
ately depart  well  and  sound  ;  joining,  if  only  from  sympathy, 
in  the  words  of  the  healed  men  glorifying  God ;  amazed  at 
all  they  saw,  amazed  at  what  they  heard ;  and  yet, 
with  all  this,  doubting.  They  could  not  doubt  respect- 
ing the  miracles;  for  these  were  obvious  to  their  senses, 
and  were  public  and  repeated,  till  there  could  be  no 
question  about  this  .astonishing  power  in  the  Messiah, 
and  respecting  the  endorsement  thus  given  from  Hea- 
ven, of  his  teachings  and  his  claims.  Yet  they  were 
not  satisfied.  They  walked  in  a  maze  of  thoughts.  The 
Jewish  mind  had  been  concentrated  on  itself  for  so  long 
a  time,  so  dwarfed  amid  narrow  prejudices,  that  it  was 
difficult  to  give  it  enlargement  of  thought,  and  especially 
such  enlargement  as  Christ  was  now  endeavoring  to  produce 
— a  belief  in  the  brotherhood  of  mankind. 

Our  wonder  at  the  Jewish  obtuseness  and  their  unwilling- 
ness to  believe,  except  in  their  own  way,  may  however  be 
lessened,  if  we  observe  how,  even  at  present,  Christian 
churches  adhere  persistently,  each  to  their  own  forms  or  creeds, 
and  are  unable,  perhaps  unwilling,  to  see  truth  in  others ; 
and  how  a  desire  of  personal  self-glorification  often  unsus- 
pected by  ourselves,  may  enter  into  our  zeal  for  church- 
establishments  when  we  should  be  zealous  only  for  Christ. 

The  Jewish  people  were  obtuse  to  the  truths  now  preached. 
There  was  wonderful  power  as  well  as  beauty  in  these  truths 
which  their  hearts  acknowledged:  there  was  a  strange 
Presence  in  him  around  whom  they  were  crowding,  a  seem- 
ing glow  from  heaven  itself  shining  out  through  his  coun- 


1  Matt.  iv.  23-25. 
14* 


162      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

tcnance ;  and  his  miracles  had  the  stamp  of  divinity  upon 
them ;  but  when  he  spoke  to  them  of  a  kingdom  in  men's 
hearts  and  souls,  embracing  equally  Jew,  and  Roman,  and 
Greek ;  making  a  brotherhood  of  all  men,  making  it  a  duty 
to  love  even  their  enemies,  whose  iron  heel  was  pressing 
their  necks,  their  feelings  revolted,  and  the  glorious  truths 
of  the  new  kingdom  fell  idly  on  their  ear.  Their  very 
belief  in  the  coming  of  a  Messiah  was  of  just  such  a  nature 
as  to  increase  their  selfishness  and  pride  and  arrogance,  and 
to  cause  them  to  be  earthly  in  their  most  cherished  hopes ; 
for  was  he  not  to  make  them  the  supreme  rulers  on  the  globe  ? 
This  they  believed,  and  their  hearts  rioted  in  the  thoughts  of 
their  coming  worldly  triumph.  Thus  the  multitude,  as 
they  followed  Christ,  and  saw  and  heard,  did  it  in  much 
darkness  of  mind — a  cherished  darkness  which  most  of  them 
did  not  wish  to  have  turned  into  light.  But  still  they  had 
glimmerings  of  truth:  some  sought  for  more;  some  believed. 

So  they  proceeded,  closely  attending  the  Messiah  in  his 
progress  through  Galilee,  watchful,  often  admiring,  always 
full  of  wonder,  and  full  of  excitement. 

— But  one  day  they  all  recoiled  in  horror  and  dismay  from 
the  presence  of  Christ ;  for  there  was  suddenly  before  him 
and  at  his  feet  a  form  that  scarcely  seemed  to  be  human,  so 
disfigured  was  it  with  leprosy,  the  foulest  and  worst  disease 
known  in  their  land,  considered  also  to  be  contagious  when 
in  its  advanced  forms,  such  as  were  clearly  exhibited  in  the 
present  case.  The  Jews  regarded  it  as  a  visitation  of  Provi- 
dence, and  called  it  ."the  finger  of  God;"  emphatically, 
"the  stroke."  Persons  afflicted  with  it  were  excluded,  by 
their  law,  from  society,  and  were  compelled  to  prevent  any 
accidental  approach  to  them  by  giving  a  distant  warning  cry 
of  "  Unclean,  unclean !"  How  this  man,  if  man  he  might 
now  be  called,  had  come  to  break  through  this  law,  it  is 
impossible  to  say.  Probably,  a  sudden  hope  had  made  him 
desperate  in  boldness ;  the  crowd  had  given  way  before  him 


CAPERNAUM  AND  GALILEE.  163 

in  horror  and  alarm  :  and  there  he  was  now  at  the  feet  of 
Christ,  with  a  plaintive  and  broken  cry. 

"Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean." 

A  competent  writer  says  of  this  disease :  "  A  recent  lep- 
rosy may  be  healed,  but  an  inveterate  one  is  incurable. 
*  *  The  common  marks  by  which,  as  physicians  tell  us, 
an  inveterate  leprosy  may  be  discerned,  are  these :  the  voice 
becomes  hoarse,  like  that  of  a  dog  which  has  been  long 
barking,  and  comes  through  the  nose,  rather  than  through 
the  mouth ;  the  pulse  is  small  and  heavy,  slow  and  disor- 
dered ;  the  blood  abounds  with  white  corpuscules,  *  * ;  the 
eyes  are  red  and  inflamed,  and  project  out  of  the  head,  but 
cannot  be  moved  either  to  the  right  or  left ;  the  ears  are 
swelled  and  red,  corroded  with  ulcers  about  the  roots  of 
them,  and  encompassed  with  small  kernels;  the  nose  sinks, 
because  the  cartilage  rots;  the  nostrils  are  open,  and  the 
passage  stopped  with  ulcers  at  the  bottom ;  the  tongue  is 
dry,  black,  swelled,  ulcerated,  shortened,  divided  into  ridges, 
and  beset  with  little  white  pimples;  the  skin  is  uneven,  hard, 
and  insensible ;  even  if  a  hole  be  made  in  it,  or  it  be  cut,  a 
putrefied  sanies  issues  from  it  instead  of  blood."1 

An  American  author,  who,  during  a  residence  of  more 
than  thirty  years  in  Palestine,  has  seen  the  disease  in  all  its 
forms,  thus  describes  its  progress  as  presented  to  his  eyes : 
"The  hair  falls  from  the  head  and  eyebrows;  the  nails 
loosen,  decay  and  drop  off;  joint  after  joint  of  the  fingers 
and  toes  shrink  up  and  fall  away.  The  gums  are  absorbed 
and  the  teeth  disappear.  The  nose,  the  eyes,  the  tongue  and 
palate  are  slowly  consumed,  and  finally  the  wretched  victim 
sinks  into  the  earth  and  disappears,  while  medicine  has  no 
power  to  stay  the  ravages  of  this  fell  disease  or  even  to 
mitigate  sensibly  its  tortures."2 

Such  was  the  nature  of  the  disease  of  this  man,  who, 


Robinson's  Calmet.  2  Thompson's  "Land  and  the  Book." 


164      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

"full  of  it"1  had  now  prostrated  himself  at  the  Messiah's 
feet,  with  the  cry,  "Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me 
clean."  Abject  he  was  in  all  but  his  faith.  Loathsome,  but 
glorious  in  faith.  The  body  a  horror,  the  soul  resplendent 
through  his  faith.  His  tongue  scarcely  uttering  intelligible 
sounds;  but  pronouncing  the  words  of  faith  that  brought 
salvation.  How  the  crowds,  crushing  against  each  other,  in 
their  horror  and  desire  to  avoid  contact  with  him,  gazed 
and  watched  for  the  result !  It  came  immediately. 

"I  will,  be  thou  clean;"  and  Christ  touched  him. 

At  the  word,  a  transformation  took  place.  The  hideous 
disease  was  gone ;  all  the  foul  signs  were  swept  away  from 
his  person,  and  he  rose  to  his  feet  clean  and  sound,2  a  well 
man.  With  a  thrill  of  joy — such  as  no  thought  in  our  mind 
can  reach — he  looked  down  upon  himself;  found  that  he 
could  use  all  of  his  limbs ;  felt  the  soundness  all  through 
his  system ;  saw  the  people  no  longer  shrinking  from  him 
in  abhorrence,  but  gazing  in  admiration  and  kindness,  and 
approaching  him — lately  so  shunned, — to  satisfy  themselves 
of  this  amazing  change.  His  plaintive  cry,  "Unclean, 
unclean,"  was  exchanged  for  thanksgivings  and  loud  rejoic- 
ings amid 'the  congratulations  which  soon  poured  upon  him 
from  the  multitudes  around.  The  man's  burst  of  joy  over, 
the  Messiah  charged  him  not  to  publish  this  abroad :  for,  in 
the  strange  city  where  they  now  were,  the  running  of  crowds, 
and  the  confusion  and  uproar,  might  give  oifence  to  the 
authorities,  as  well  as  interrupt  his  work  of  teaching ;  but 
the  man's  wild  joy  could  not  be  restrained,  and  he  published 
and  "blazed  it  abroad."  The  Messiah,  in  consequence, 
could  no  longer  openly  enter  the  city,  but  kept  outside,  away 
from  its  thoroughfares :  the  people,  however,  came  to  him 
there,  crowding  from  every  quarter,  far  and  near,  in  order 
to  be  healed.3 


1  Luke  v.  12.  2  Mark  i.  42.         s  Luke  v.  12-15 :  Mark  i.  40-45, 


THE  PARALYTIC  HEALED.  165 

But  we  must  return  to  that  miracle,  to  observe  the  central 
person  in  the  wonderful  scene :  for,  above  all  other  interests, 
above  the  wonder  of  the  cure  itself,  come  before  us  the 
majesty  of  Christ  himself,  and  the  calm  dignity  of  his 
words,  I  WILL,  uttered  in  that  quietude  of  conscious  power 
which  could  have  been  witnessed  only  in  one  to  whom  infi- 
nite power  had  been  forever  familiar  and  who  felt  its 
existence  in  himself.  We  see  this  also  in  all  his  other 
miracles ;  and  it  is  even  more  remarkable  than  the  miracles 
themselves  ; — a  quietude  in  the  perfect  consciousness  of  power  ; 
a  simplicity  of  omnipotence^  which  reminds  us  of  the  com- 
mand recorded  in  the  Bible,  "Let  there  be  light:  and  there 
was  light.'' 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
THE  PARALYTIC  HEALED. 

FT! HERE  was,  soon  afterwards,  another  scene  where  the 
•  Divinity  within  Christ  asserted  its  rights  and  its  powers, 
in  a  yet  more  striking  degree.  After  healing  the  leper,  he 
had  spent  some  days  in  still  further  teachings  and  miracu- 
lous cures,  through  the  country  ;  and  then  had  returned  to 
Capernaum;  where,  the  rumor  of  his  presence  having  been 
quickly  spread,  multitudes  began  to  gather  about  him  as 
before.  They  came  in  such  crowds  "that  there  was  no 
room  to  receive  them,  not  so  much  as  about  the  door :  and 
he  preached  the  word  unto  them."1 

The  houses  in  those  countries  are  built  about  a  court-yard, 
and  the  annexed  cut  will  give  us  an  idea  of  the  general 


Mark  ii.  2. 


166      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

plan  of  construction  of  those  of  the  better  kind.  It  is  that 
of  the  dwelling  of  an  American  merchant  in  Damascus,  in 
which  the  author  was  lodged,  during  a  visit  to  that  city  in 
1834 :  and  as  habits  are  unchangeable  in  the  East,  it  may  be 
considered  as  an  example  of  the  houses  in  use  in  the  times 
of  which  we  are  writing. 


Plan  of  a  Damascus  house. 

This  house  was  entered  by  a  narrow  door  from  the  street 
C.  where  the  exterior  was  such  that  the  building  looked  as 
if  it  was  ready  to  fall  and  crush  us  rather  than  to  give  us 
shelter.  Then  there  was  a  narrow,  and  dark  arched  way, 
and  at  the  further  end  of  this  another  door,  passing  which 
we  were  in  a  scene  of  a  far  different  kind.  This  was  an 
open  court,  B.  B.  about  fifty  feet  by  forty,  paved  with  dif- 
ferently colored  marbles,  with  a  fountain  in  the  centre  lined 
with  vases  of  flowers ;  and  at  the  further  end  a  lofty  arched 
way  forming  a  recess  ten  feet  in  depth  and  extending  nearly 
across  the  court.  This  recess  A.  was  elevated  above  the 
court,  and  had  at  the  rear,  a  divan  with  cushions  of  richly 
colored  silks.  This  lofty  recess  with  its  luxurious  couch 
had  a  most  inviting  appearance ;  but  just  before  reaching  it, 
a  rival  attraction  was  presented  on  our  left  by  a  room 


THE  PARALYTIC  HEALED.  167 

intended  for  the  hot  hours  of  the  day ; — a  chamber  with 
dim  light,  a  fountain  near  the  door  with  a  delicate  jet  of 
water  just  gurgling  enough  to  soothe  and  lull  to  sleep,  a 
raised  pavement  richly  carpeted,  and  along  the  walls  cush- 
ions as  in  the  outer  lewan.  The  walls  of  the  court  and 
chambers  were  enriched  with  gay  colors  in  tasteful  patterns, 
or  with  poetical  inscriptions ;  and  the  wood  was  colored  30 
as  to  represent  japanned  work  of  various  designs. 

The  reader  may  perhaps  suppose  this  to  be  one  of  the 
palaces  of  the  city,  but  it  was  a  dwelling  scarcely  above  the 
ordinary  kind.  We  were  taken,  the  day  after  our  arrival  to 
visit  the  palace  of  Abdallah  Bey,  which  had  three  or  four 
distinct  courts,  and  where  we  counted  eight  fountains :  also 
that  of  Ali  Aga,  and  next  to  that  of  Abdi  El  Belzah  Aga, 
all  of  large  proportions  and  exhibiting  a  great  display  of 
wealth  and  of  rich  architectural  adornment. 

Capernaum  had  undoubtedly  far  inferior  architectural 
pretensions  to  the  dwellings  in  Damascus:  but  the  plan 
above  given  shows  the  taste  of  those  eastern  countries ;  and 
the  court-yard  and  the  arched  open  recess  were  considered  a 
necessity  in  every  house,  if  within  the  means  of  the  owner. 

It  was  probably  in  such  a  recess  raised  above  the  court 
that  the  Messiah  was  teaching  on  the  occasion  now  before 
us;  while  the  " Pharisees  and  doctors  of  the  law  sitting  by"1 
occupied  the  divan,  in  his  rear,  and  the  densely  packed 
crowds  filled  the  court  in  front. 

The  court  may  be  shaded  by  an  awning  drawn  across:  or, 
as  the  author  has  often  seen,  by  vines  trained  overhead,  or 
sometimes  in  part  by  loosely  fastened  boards. 

Thus  we  may  have  the  scene  before  us  in  this  case : — the 
speaker  with  his  face  lighted  up  in  his  glorious  teachings; 
the  Pharisees  and  doctors  of  the  law  watching  with  keen 
scrutiny  and  sifting  every  word  uttered  ;  the  multitudes  full 


1  Luke  v.  17. 


1 68     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

of  wonder  and  admiration  and  full  of  awe:  for  "the  power 
of  the  Lord,"  we  are  told,  "  was  present  to  heal  them." 

What  a  scene  it  was!  How  grand  was  that  Presence 
where  the  Divinity  was  making  itself  clearly  impressed, 
glowing  in  the  expressive  features  and  giving  tone  to  the 
intonations  of  voice ; — superhuman  love  speaking  and  teach- 
ing and  manifesting  itself  in  every  word. 

— Suddenly  there  was  an  interruption,  and  it  was  from  a 
\fery  singular  cause. 

Out  in  the  street  four  men  had  come  bearing  on  a  couch 
a  paralytic  who  was  unable  to  help  himself.  A  new  hope 
had  seized  him  and  them  when  they  heard  that  Christ  had 
returned  to  Capernaum,  and  with  the  quick  tenderness  of 
friendship  they  had  been  hurrying  the  sick  man  toward  the 
Messiah,  when  presently  they  were  brought  to  a  stand  by 
the  crowd  filling  every  spot  about  the  door.  It  was  found 
impossible  to  proceed ;  for  the  archway  was  packed  closely 
by  human  beings  trying  to  catch  the  words  of  the  Great 
Teacher  within,  and  the  people  either  could  not  or  would 
not  give  way.  A  fear  came  over  the  sick  man,  .such  a  fear 
as  can  be  known  only  to  one  long  diseased  and  helpless,  but 
who  is  suddenly  roused  by  a  great  hope,  and  now  that  hope 
made  seemingly  vain.  He  turned  his  feeble  gaze  on  the 
multitude  full  of  entreaty,  but  they  did  not  move ;  exhor- 
tations from  friends  were  of  no  avail ;  probably  every  one 
believed  that  an  effort  to  get  through  such  a  crowd  must  be 
in  vain.  But  the  friends  were  not  to  be  baffled  by  difficul- 
ties ;  they  persevered,  and  they  succeeded. 

The  house-tops  in  those  cities  are  flat  and  are  a  common 
resort  for  the  natives  by  day,  and  often  their  sleeping-places 
at  night.  It  is  easy  also,  as  the  author  has  often  found,  to 
pass  from  house  to  house  over  the  low  parapets,  and  although 
in  this  case  the  doorway  from  the  street  was  crowded  and 
the  stairs  of  this  court-yard  could  not  be  reached,  yet  in 
other  courts  access  to  the  roof  could  be  gained,  and  thus  the 


THE  PARALYTIC  HEALED.  169 

spot  right  over  the  head  of  Christ  as  he  stood  in  the  recess 
teaching  could  be  reached.  The  loose  boards  or  awning  be- 
ing then  moved  aside1  the  couch  could  be  let  down  directly 
in  front  of  the  Saviour  and  by  his  feet. 

The  crowds  below  as  they  saw  the  couch  descending  let 
'down  with  such  tenderness  and  care,  and  saw  the  anxious, 
earnest  faces  of  the  friends  above,  were  deeply  moved;  a 
common  sympathy  swept  all  other,  feeling  before  it,  as  all 
bent  toward  the  helpless,  sad  object  before  them  in  intensity 
of  gaze  at  him  and  at  Christ.  None  could  doubt  the  result 
after  such  healings  as  they  had  witnessed,  and  especially 
when  they  saw  the  gush  of  sympathy  in  the  face  of  the  Mes- 
siah, but  amongst  the  hearers  there  was  a  start  of  wonder — 
in  some  of  horror  at  the  words  they  heard  from  him : 

"  Man  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee." 

"Who  is  this  which  speaketh  blaspliemies?  Who  can 
forgive  sins  but  God  alone?"  were  the  swift  thoughts  filling 
with  repulsion  the  hearts  of  those  immediately  about  Christ. 
But  although  he  knew  these  thoughts  there  was  no  dis- 
claimer by  him  but  a  full  sanction  to  their  conclusions. 

"What  reason  ye  in  your  hearts?  Whether  is  easier  to 
say,  Thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee,  or  to  say,  Rise  up  and  walk? 
But  that  ye  may  know  that  the  Son  of  man  hath  power  upon 
earth  to  forgive  sins  (he  said  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy),  I  say 
unto  thee,  Arise  and  take  up  thy  couch  and  go  unto  thine 
house," 

The  man  rose  well  and  sound.  It  was  wonderful  not 
only  to  see  the  fullness  of  strength  flushing  through  all 


1  Mark  says,  "uncovered  the  roof  where  he  was  ;"  Luke,  "they  let  him 
down  through  the  tiling  with  his  couch,"  Sia  irfHv  Kcpapwv,  which  here 
in  our  Bible  is  translated  through  the  tiling.  In  Acts  ix.  25,  however, 
Sia  is  translated  by,  not  through,  Sib  r»  m'^ouo-,  by  the  wall.  Also  in  2  Cor. 
xi.  33,  6ia  by  the  wall.  The  Greek  word  Kcpapoi,  originally  meant  tiles ; 
afterward  it  was  used  for  any  kind  of  roof  or  covering.  The  passage 
here  undoubtedly  means  by  the  roof  or  edge  of  the  roof. 
15 


170     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

that  body  just  before  this  so  worn  and  utterly  helpless,  but  to 
witness  the  sanction  from  God  himself  in  this  miracle  to  the 
claims  of  Godhead  from  Christ ! 

Jehovah  had  in  their  writings  always  declared  himself  to 
be  "a  jealous  God;"  and  well  might  such  a  declaration  be 
impressed  upon  them  surrounded  as  they  were  with  heathen 
temples  and  with  false  claims  for  deities  adapted  to  lead 
their  hearts  astray ;  but  here  was  one  charged  with  claiming 
the  rights  of  Divinity,  and  in  not  a  word  abnegating  these 
claims  but  endorsing  them,  yet  sustained  by  Jehovah  in 
this  wonderful  miracle  before  their  eyes. 

The  lately  paralytic  was  there  sound  and  strong,  and  what 
a  rejoicing  in  his  new  power  there  was  in  him.  Among  the 
spectators  there  was  a  tumult  of  sensations,  amazement,  awe, 
fear,  sealing  for  a  few  moments  their  tongues.  Then  came 
a  rush  of  joy  over  all  other  feeling,  and  of  glorifying  God ;  and 
as  they  went  to  their  homes  they  repeated  to  each  other,  as 
well  indeed  they  might,  "  We  never  saw  it  in  this  fashion ; 
we  have  seen  strange  things  to-day." l 

Among  them  was  one  even  more  exuberant  with  joy — he 
who  was  carrying  his  bed  homeward,  shouting  out  along  the 
streets  of  Capernaum  his  glory  ings  to  God. 

But  discussions  respecting  the  events  of  the  day  were  con- 
tinued with  deep  earnestness  long  afterward  at  their  homes. 
The  Pharisees  and  Scribes  especially  were  thoroughly  per- 
plexed. There  was  such  a  strange  power  in  that  teaching ; 
there  was  such  a  greatness  in  the  speaker  uttering  his  doc- 
trines with  authority,  and  these  doctrines  so  clear  and  prac- 
tical, and  carrying  to  the  heart  conviction  of  their  truth. 
His  position  had  all  the  marks  of  humility  in  life ;  yet  real 
greatness  can  afford  to  be  voluntarily  humble,  and  there  was 
even  a  grandeur  in  this  retiracy  and  unpretendingness  of 
Christ,  mingled  as  they  were,  with  a  latent  power  to  which 


1  Mark  xi.  1-12;  Luke  v.  18-26. 


AT  JERUSALEM.  171 

there  seemed  to  be  no  bounds.  With  this  humiliation  in  his 
appearance  he  was  claiming  the  attributes  of  God  !  It  was 
blasphemy  in  man;  was  he  man?  Their  own  eyes  satisfied 
them  as  to  his  human  form,  but  yet  in  his  words,  his  doc- 
trines, his  face,  there  shone  out  what  might  well  be  Divinity 
enthroned  for  a  while  on  earth.  What  a  Divinity,  too,  in 
his  manner  of  address  to  the  sick  man ;  his  word  simply  to 
be  healed,  and  he  was  healed,  as  in  the  old  manner  when 
God  spake  and  it  was  done. 

And  yet  if  he  were  the  Christ,  the  Messiah,  God  with 
men,  so  unpretending  and  unambitious,  so  humble  in  all  his 
surroundings  and  contented  with  them,  what  was  to  become 
of  their  nation's  hope  of  dominion  and  glory?  Judea  was 
still  to  remain  trampled  under  foot ;  its  expected  triumphs  a 
dream.  Why  should  he  appear  also  as  he  did  ?  Why  in 
the  form  their  eyes  beheld?  Why  not,  at  least,  in  some 
pomp  and  circumstance  of  honor? 

Thus  in  doubts  and  queryings,  and  in  feeding  the  heart 
with  worldly  passions,  these  Pharisees  and  Scribes  wandered 
off  from  the  truth.  How  many  other  men  have  since  that 
time  done  the  same ! 


CHAPTER  XX. 
AT  JERUSALEM— ALSO  AT  CAPERNAUM. 

THE  Messiah  had  given  recently  another  proof  of  his 
preference  of  what  was  right  above  what  was  popular, 
by  calling  Matthew,  a  publican,  from  the  very  receipt  of  cus- 
toms to  be  a  disciple.     Accompanied  by  him  and  by  others 
selected  to  this  office,  he  went  now  again  to  the  Passover  at 


172     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

Jerusalem  disregardful  of  what  the  Rabbis  and  Doctors 
would  say  of  his  retinue  taken  from  a  class  despised  by  their 
learned  men,  and  called  by  them  "  earth"  and  "  worms'7  fit 
only  to  be  trod  upon. 

Indeed  the  whole  party  from  Galilee  were  sufficiently 
humble  in  their  dress,  and  were  unpretentious  in  manner ; 
yet  one  of  them  was  Lord,  not  of  Judea  only,  but  of  the 
earth;  and  two  of  his  followers  have  left  writings  the  value 
of  which  it  will  require  the  fullness  of  eternity  to  show. 
Souls  in  this  world  and  in  the  next,  will  not  cease  to  bless 
the  records  of  Matthew  and  John. 

There  was  a  pool  at  Jerusalem  called  Bethesda,  having 
five  porches  or  colonnades  attached  to  it,  under  the  shelter 
of  which  were  a  great  number  of  men,  "blind  and  halt,  and 
withered,"  waiting  for  the  "moving  of  the  water"  in  the 
pool.  "  For  an  angel  went  down  at  a  certain  season  into 
the  pool  and  troubled  the  water :  whosoever  then,  first  after 
the  troubling  of  the  water,  stepped  in  was  made  whole."  A 
very  singular  fountain  with  a  similar  periodicity  of  flow, 
which  the  writer  of  this  book  has  himself  seen,  still  exists 
at  Jerusalem.  A  few  days  after  the  author's  arrival  in  that 
city,  he  was  one  day  going  alone  on  the  outskirts  during  the 
sickness  of  his  friend  and  guide;  and  on  the  side  of  the 
valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  not  far  below  the  old  temple  walls, 
he  noticed  an  opening  in  the  hill-side  with  steps  leading 
down.  He  descended  some  distance — twenty-seven  steps 
cut  in  the  rock ; — and  at  last  in  the  dim  light,  was  just 
about  stepping  into  a  pool  of  water,  when  a  timely  dis- 
covery saved  him  from  the  partial  bath.  The  fountain  was 
about  eighteen  inches  deep,  and  a  few  feet  across,  the  water 
perfectly  clear,  but  with  a  slightly  foreign  taste.  Returning 
there  a  few  days  after  this,  he  was  astonished  to  find  instead 
of  the  clear  fountain,  only  a  muddy  puddle,  with  but  a  quart 
or  two  of  water  left.  Others  have  noticed  the  same  perio- 


AT  JERUSALEM.  173 

dicity  in  this  fountain1 — called  the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin. 
A  subterranean  channel  leading  from  it  has  since  that  time 
been  explored  and  found  to  conduct  to  the  pool  of  Siloam  : 
and  this  "Fountain  of  the  Virgin"  is  itself  doubtless  sup- 
plied by  artificial  conduits,  from  sources  under  the  temple 
site,  or  perhaps  from  Acra.  Its  periodicity,  though  of  course 
natural,  has  never  been  fully  explained. 

The  Messiah  on  this  occasion  of  his  visiting  the  pool  of 
Bethesda,  stopped  near  a  man — a  cripple  for  thirty-eight 
years, — lying  there  with  longings  to  feel  the  power  of  the 
water ;  often  tantalized  with  a  sudden  hope ;  then  springing 
up  with  painful  effort  as  the  water  was  troubled,  but  only 
to  be  disappointed  by  seeing  others  more  active  than  him- 
self step  in  and  be  healed. 

"  Wilt  thou  be  made  whole  ?" — the  words  were  addressed 
to  him. 

"  Sir,  I  have  no  man  when  the  water  is  troubled  to  put 
me  into  the  pool :  but  while  I  am  coming  another  steppeth 
down  before  me." 

"Rise,  take  up  thy  bed  and  walk." 

There  was  power  as  well  as  authority  in  that  voice.  A 
movement !  strength !  the  man  was  on  his  feet,  whole  and 
sound  and  strong !  He  did  not  know  the  Healer,  who,  in- 
asmuch as  many  were  assembling  had  withdrawn :  but  he 
did  as  directed,  took  his  bit  of  mat  or  couch  and  started  for 
his  home. 

But  it  was  the  Sabbath :  and  the  Jewish  leaders  meeting 
him,  reproved  him  for  the  breach  of  its  sanctity  by  carrying 
a  burden  on  that  day.  He  told  them  of  the  directions 
given  him;  and  afterwards  having  met  the  Messiah,  and 
discovered  who  it  was  that  had  healed  him,  he  informed 
them  that  it  "  was  Jesus  who  had  made  him  whole." 


1  See  Kobinson's  Bib.  Eesearches,  and  also  Thompson's  "  Land  and 
the  Book." 
15  * 


174      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

Christ  was  now  in  a  city  where  whatever  was  fierce  in 
bigotry,  lofty  in  religious  assumption,  or  deadly  in  malice 
when  such  prejudices  were  wounded,  had  their  climax ;  and 
the  part  of  a  teacher  is  not  only  to  exhibit  truths,  but  to 
expose  their  opposites  for  condemnation.  In  Jerusalem  he 
must  therefore  soon  come  into  collision  with  the  rulers,  from 
whom  when  once  their  ire  had  been  aroused,  only  the  fiercest 
measures  of  revenge  might  be  expected,  so  far  as  the  Roman 
power  would  permit.  Of  the  Messiah's  opinion  of  these 
men,  "  hypocrites,"  "  serpents/'  "  generation  of .  vipers,"  we 
have  a  record  further  on  in  history ;  and  from  the  first,  he 
knew  them  thoroughly  in  all  the  baseness  of  their  nature 
and  of  their  designs.  Nor  did  he  among  them  ever  cease  to 
place  the  full  power,  both  of  his  teachings  and  his  example, 
on  the  side  of  truth.  We  are  too  apt  in  our  considerations 
of  the  gentleness,  the  mildness,  the  benevolence  and  the  un- 
conquerable love  of  Christ  in  this  his  ministry,  to  lose  sight 
of  the  moral  force  there  was  in  him,  and  which  it  was  that 
led  to  the  plots  against  his  life ;  and  as  far  as  these  rulers 
were  concerned,  brought  him  finally  to  suffer  on  the  cross. 
This  force  made  no  parade  of  itself,  and  was  seldom  a  prom- 
inent object  in  his  character,  often  seemingly  latent,  but  it 
was  ceaseless  in  operation  and  ever  felt :  and  where  there 
was  a  necessity,  then  it  came  out  fully,  and  openly,  and  de- 
cidedly, as  we  see  in  his  cleansing  the  temple,  and  in  the 
woes  hurled  there  afterward  on  the  Pharisees,  and  indeed 
through  all  his  ministry  on  earth.  His  religion  was  indeed 
to  be  forever  aggressive  against  all  wickedness ;  and  he  was 
himself  aggressive ;  but  we  recognize  even  in  this,  such  a 
greatness  of  love  that  it  often  hides  all  else  from  our  eyes ; 
and  so  to  many  persons  in  our  day,  Christ  appears  to  have 
been  tame  and  passive,  when  the  fact  is  that  the  actually 
aggressive  force  in  him  is  veiled  from  us  by  his  more  strik- 
ing traits  of  benevolence  and  love.  Even  in  the  scene  which 


AT  JERUSALEM,  175 

comes  immediately  after  this  in  Galilee,  his  anger1  was 
deeply  blended  with  grief  at  man's  hardness  of  heart. 

When  the  .healed  man  from  the  pool  of  Bethesda  in- 
formed the  rulers  who  it  was  that  had  directed  him  to  carry 
his  bed  on  the  Sabbath,  they  immediately  came  to  the  Mes- 
siah with  a  murderous  purpose  in  their  hearts.  He  had 
before  been  obnoxious :  they  now  began  their  plots  for  his 
life.  His  very  first  words  to  them  were  an  assertion  of  the 
right  through  the  Godhead  in  him,  to  act  as  he  had  done. 

"  My  Father  worketh  hitherto,  and  I  work." 

They  understand  him  perfectly,  and  they  "  sought  the 
more  to  kill  him,  because  he  not  only  had  broken  the  Sab- 
bath, but  said  also  that  God  was  his  Father,  making  him- 
self equal  with  God."2 

But  there  was  no  retraction  on  his  part ;  only  re-assertion 
in  a  more  positive  form.  *  *  "  For  as  the  Father  raiseth 
up  the  dead,  and  quickeneth  them ;  even  so  the  Son  quick- 
eneth  whom  he  will.  For  the  Father  judgeth  no  man,  but 
hath  committed  all  judgment  unto  the  Son :  that  all  men 
should  honor  the  Son,  even  as  they  honor  the  Father."  The 
address  was  continued  in  the  same  clear  and  decided  lan- 
guage, with  declarations  of  the  power  in  heaven  belonging 
to  him,  and  of  his  supremacy  in  the  judgment  to  come.3 

While  returning  from  Jerusalem  to  Galilee,  as  he  was 
passing  through  a  field  of  grain,  his  disciples  being  hungry 
plucked  some  of  the  ears,  rubbed  them  in  their  hands  and 
ate;  a  practice  still  always  considered  allowable  in  that 
country :  but  this  was  on  the  Sabbath,  and  some  watchful 
Pharisees  in  the  company  taking  offence  at  what  they  con- 
sidered a  breach  of  the  holy  day,  drew  his  attention  to  the 
act.  He  replied  to  them,  closing  with  the  remark,  "  The 
Son  of  man  is  Lord  even  of  the  Sabbath  day."4 


*  Mark  iii.  5.  2  John  v.  18. 

3  See  John  v.  19-47.  *  Matt.  xii.  8. 


Ij        LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  SOUR    GOSPELS. 

They  had  begun  now  to  watch  him,  in  order  to  find  oc- 
casions for  accusation,  and  he  met  their  scrutiny  readily ;  for 
it  would  give  him  only  the  better  opportunity  for  impress- 
ing his  doctrines.  An  occasion  for  this  offered  itself  soon 
after  his  return  to  Galilee. 

He  had  gone  to  the  synagogue  on  the  Sabbath  and  had 
taught  as  usual,  after  which  he  noticed  in  the  congregation 
a  man  having  a  withered  hand.  Scribes  and  Pharisees  were 
attentively  observing  both  him  and  this  individual,  to  see 
whether  they  might  not  find  there  another  charge  against 
him  of  violating  the  Sabbath.  He  knew  it. 

"Rise  and  stand  forth  in  the  midst/'  he  said  to  the  man  ; 
and  he  did  so.  Turning  to  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  who 
were  then  plotting  for  his  life,  he  said :  "  I  will  ask  you  one 
thing ;  Is  it  lawful  on  the  Sabbath  days  to  do  good,  or  to 
do  evil?  to  save  life,  or  to  destroy  it?" 

They  did  not  answer ;  and  he  "  looked  round  about  on 
them  with  anger,  being  grieved  at  the  hardness  of  their 
hearts ;  then  towards  the  man, — 

"  Stretch  forth  thy  hand."  He  did  so :  it  was  whole  as 
the  other. 

Those  men  who  were  plotting  murder  there  in  their  hearts 
on  the  Sabbath,  and  yet  would  not  sanction  an  act  of  mercy 
on  that  day,  lest  its  sacredness  should  be  violated,  now  went 
out;  and  immediately, for  their  fell  purposes,  formed  a  com- 
bination of  a  very  singular  kind  with  another  Jewish  sect. 
These  were  the  Herodians,  a  set  of  men  who  it  will  be  re- 
membered had  become  the  advocates,  first  of  Herod  the 
Great,  and  were  such  now  of  his  sons,  Herod  Antipas,  king 
of  Galilee  and  Perea,  and  of  Philip  of  Gaulonitis ;  main- 
taining that  the  Roman  government  was  just,  and  that  it 
was  the  duty  of  the  Jews  to  submit;  also  that  in  the  pre- 
sent circumstances  they  might  follow  with  a  good  conscience, 
many  of  the  heathen  practices  and  modes.  Nothing  could 
be  more  at  variance  with  the  Pharisaic  doctrines  of  a  strict 


AT  CAPERNAUM.  177 

adherence  to  their  law,  and  of  their  proclaimed  maxim,  that 
God  only  was  their  king,  and  that  it  was  wrong  to  submit 
to  any  other :  yet  these  Pharisees  now  went  forth  from  the 
synagogue,  "and  straightway  took  counsel  with  the  Hero- 
dians  against  Jesus,  how  they  might  destroy  him."1  The 
Herodians  might  easily  be  persuaded  that  the  Messiah  was 
setting  up  a  kingdom  in  opposition  to  that  of  their  Master, 
Herod  Antipas ;  or,  at  all  events,  thdt  dangerous  tumults 
against  the  government  might  arise  among  a  people  at  this 
moment  so  excited  about  a  promised  mighty  King.  The 
two  sects,  Pharisee  and  Herodian  joined  here  in  compact, 
their  antagonistic  principles  made  to  act  in  concert,  through 
their  greater  enmity  toward  Christ. 

With  what  feelings  then  of  rage  and  jealousy  must  they 
have  looked  on  the  events  which  immediately  ensued  at  Ca- 
pernaum ; — throngs  brought  by  his  fame  from  all  parts  of 
Palestine,  and  from  beyond  its  limits; — people  crowding 
around  him ;  the  sick,  in  the  multitude  of  applications,  en- 
deavoring if  only  to  touch  him  in  order  to  be  healed ;  and 
demoniacs  falling  down  before  him,  crying  out,  "  Thou  art 
the  Son  of  God."  We  are  puzzled  here  again,  as  we  often 
are  in  reading  the  Gospels,  by  the  notice  of  what  is  un- 
known in  our  own  time,  and  seems  to  have  been  peculiar  to 
the  period  of  which  we  are  writing,  that  is,  men  possessed 
of  spirits  of  various  kinds.  In  our  entire  ignorance  as  to 
the  extreme  thinness  of  the  veil  which  separates  the  visible 
from  the  invisible  world,  and  how  easily  it  may  be  pierced 
by  supernatural  force  when  occasion  requires,  while  to  us  it  is 
so  impervious,  we  can  only  content  ourselves  with  the  query 
suggested  in  a  former  part  of  this  work,  that  if  the  powers 
of  heaven  are  to  be  shaken  when  the  Son  of  man  comes  to 
the  judgment,  how  much  more  must  they  have  been  shaken 
during  that  wonderful  period  when  he  laid  aside  his  glory 


Mark  iii  6. 


178     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

which  he  had  with  the  Father,  and  was  a  sojourner  on  our 
earth  ?  But  these  are  facts  about  which  we  are  little  capa- 
ble of  reasoning,  as  indeed  we  must  be,  whenever  we  try  to 
peer  into  the  supernatural,  and  to  query  about  the  mighty 
unknown  wonders  it  contains. 

The  scene  at  Capernaum  had  become  an  exciting  one. 
People  had  come  from  Tyre  and  Sidon  on  the  north,  and 
even  from  Idumea  arid  its  capital  Petra  on  the  south  ;  from 
the  east  of  the  Jordan,  and  from  Jerusalem,  and  all  parts 
of  Judea  ;l  and  a  vast  multitude  were  congregated,  brought 
together  by  the  fame  of  the  Messiah's  teachings  and  his 
deeds.  Through  these  crowds  the  friends  of  the  sick  men 
were  still  hurrying  them ;  and  people's  sympathies  were 
every  moment  excited  by  such  sights ; — by  the  wan  and 
feeble,  and  the  distorted  by  disease ;  by  eyes  raised  implor- 
ingly from  couches ;  or  by  faint  voices  entreating  them  to 
give  way,  that  the  Great  Healer  might  be  reached  in  time ; 
by  the  halt  and  lame,  trying  to  force  an  approach ;  and  by 
the  blind,  asking  to  be  directed  amid  the  dense  masses; 
while  here  and  there  over  the  various  noises,  rose  the  ac- 
knowledging cry  of  the  demoniacs :  "  Thou  art  the  Son  of 
God."  The  scene  indeed,  might  easily  become  tumultuous, 
especially  through  the  instigation  of  enemies ;  and  the  Mes- 
siah at  last  withdrew  to  the  lake,  where  near  the  shore,  a 
boat  had  been  placed  for  his  use.  From  this,  his  teachings 
could  be  more  readily  heard  than  among  the  dense  throngs 
which  had  been  pressing  on  every  side.2 


1  Mark  iii.  8.  «  See  Mark  iii.  7-12;  Matt.  xii.  15-21. 


SERMON  ON  THE  MOUNT.  179 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
SERMON  ON  THE  MOUNT. 

A  FTER  the  scenes  in  our  last  chapter,  Jesus  sought  in 
-£*•  the  evening  somewhere  back  of  Capernaum,  a  retired 
spot  for  prayer ;  and  there  he  remained  all  the  night  in  com- 
munion with  Heaven.  He  needed  rest  after  such  a  day  as 
we  have  just  been  describing ;  but  he  felt  still  more  the 
need  of  the  refreshment  which  such  communion  only  could 
afford. 

Earth  must  have  been  to  him  lonely.  Even  his  friends 
had  few  ideas  in  common  with  himself;  and  with  all  his 
teachings,  quite  to  the  last  of  his  ministry,  his  immediate 
followers  themselves  did  not  understand  the  nature  of  the 
kingdom  which  he  was  endeavoring  to  establish.  Where, 
indeed,  could  he  find  any  one  to  join  with  him  in  that  vast- 
ness  of  love  which  was  for  all  mankind,  or  to  comprehend 
its  nature?  His  views  of  things  were  infinitely  wider  than 
those  of  the  men  around  him,  or  of  any  man ;  his  know- 
ledge embraced  both  worlds,  the  seen  and  the  unseen ;  he 
was  infinitely  above  all  others,  and  thus  to  him  there  must 
have  been  a  solitude  on  the  earth  into  which  no  one  could 
come  bringing  that  companionship  which  even  the  highest 
natures  long  for,  that  full  communion  which  makes  the 
greatest  happiness  of  our  being.  He  had  such  fellowship 
with  others  as  could  be  found  in  relieving  their  distress,  in 
elevating  them  toward  heaven  by  his  teachings,  and  in  ever 
doing  them  good  by  the  mightiness  of  power  at  his  com- 
mand ;  but  companionship  there  was  none,  and  there  could 
be  none  upon  the  earth. 

His  full  communion  could  be  only  with  heaven;  and  in 


/8o      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

such  a  night  as  this,  when  retiring  from  all  human  beings, 
he  put  himself  away  from  earthly  things,  then  was  his  soli- 
tude broken,  for  the  companionship  of  heaven  came  fully 
to  him  again. 

Thus  he  spent  the  night,  and  until  the  morning  waked 
up  the  world  to  activity  once  more,  and  his  work  of  teach- 
ing and  healing  was  to  be  resumed.  That  day's  teaching  is 
among  the  most  memorable  things  of  earth,  for  it  gave  us 
the  SERMON  ON  THE  MOUNT. 

The  narrow  thoroughfares  at  Capernaum  were  ill  adapted 
to  be  a  place  for  extended  and  formal  teaching,  and  no  house 
could  contain  the  multitudes  thronging  about  him ;  and  re- 
cently he  had  been  compelled  to  take  a  boat  from  which  as 
it  lay  by  the  shore  he  could  address  them ;  now  he  led  the 
way  back  of  the  city  to  the  heights  of  the  table-land,  which, 
as  already  mentioned,  here  overlooks  the  lake.  Seen  from 
below,  the  shore  there  has  a  mountainous  aspect,  rising  to 
the  height  of  600  or  700  feet,  although  when  examined 
from  above,  the  ground  shows  itself  to  be  only  the  ter- 
mination of  the  great  Esdraelon.  These  heights  are  not 
uniform,  however,  but  are  broken  into  irregularities  of 
elevation  and  depression,  and  one  of  these  highest  parts, 
called  l(  The  Horns  of  Hattin,"  is  pointed  out  by  tradition 
as  the  scene  of  the  interesting  gathering  on  this  day.  This 
is,  however,  seven  miles  from  the  nearest  admitted  site  of 
Capernaum,  and  seems  to  be  too  distant  for  the  record  as 
given  in  the  Gospels;  the  actual  place  was  more  proba- 
bly on  one  of  the  more  elevated  heights  back  of  the  city 
itself.  Wherever  it  was,  our  minds  can  easily  bring  before 
them  the  more  strking  objects  in  this  region,  some  of  which 
doubtless  are  alluded  to  in  the  address. 

From  the  plain  of  Gennesaret  a  deep  valley  or  ravine  ex- 
tends westwardly  and  then  curves  round  toward  the  north, 
its  rocky  and  often  precipitous  sides  rising  to  the  height  of 
1000  feet,  and  giving  shelter  to  vast  flocks  of  pigeons,  from 


SERMON  ON  THE  MOUNT.  181 

which  the  place  takes  its  present  name,  Wady  Hamam  or 
Vale  of  Doves.  "  Behold  the  fowls  of  the  air :"  (we  may 
suppose  them  then  floating  along  overhead) ;  "  for  they  sow 
not,  neither  do  they  reap,  nor  gather  into  barns ;  yet  youi 
heavenly  Father  feedeth  them.  Are  ye  not  much  better 
than  they?" 

Palestine  in  the  spring  is  remarkable  for  the  abundance 
and  brilliancy  of  its  wild  flowers,  and  the  delivery  of  this 
sermon  was  just  after  the  Passover,  and  therefore  some  time 
in  April.  Dr.  Olin,  when  near  this  spot,  was  struck  with 
"  the  great  profusion  of  flowering  plants."  "  The  tall  grass," 
he  adds,  "  waved  with  every  breeze,  and  we  seemed  to  be  in 
the  rnidst  of  a  sea  of  vegetation."  "  Consider  the  lilies  of 
the  field/'  said  Christ,  "  how  they  grow ;  they  toil  not, 
neither  do  they  spin ;  and  yet  I  say  unto  you,  that  even 
Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these. 
Wherefore,  if  God  so  clothe  the  grass  of  the  field,  which 
to-day  is,  and  to-morrow  is  cast  into  the  oven,1  shall  he  not 
much  more  clothe  you,  O  ye  of  little  faith  ?" 

Within  sight  to  the  northward  was  a  sharp  peak  rising 
to  a  height  of  2650  feet  above  the  Mediterranean,  and  now 
crowned  by  the  city  of  Safed,  among  the  houses  of  which 
are  numerous  rebated  stones,  which  prove  that  the  place  was 
one  of  importance  in  those  ancient  times.  This  peak  rising 
high  and  distinct  above  all  other  objects,  with  its  city,  gave 
striking  force  to  the  admonition:  "Ye  are  the  light  of  the 
world.  A  city  that  is  set  on  a  hill  cannot  be  hid.  Neither 
do  men  light  a  candle,  and  put  it  under  a  bushel,  but  on  a  can- 
dlestick ;  and  it  giveth  light  unto  all  that  are  in  the  house. 
Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see  your 
good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 

The  place  was  indeed  fitted  well  to  be  the  scene  of  that 


1  Wild  grass  and  weeds  when  dried  were  used  for  heating  ovens      See 
The  Land  and  the  Book." 
IS 


182      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  TPIE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

sermon ;  the  op^n  vault  of  sky  above,  the  lofty  elevation 
where  the  morning  air  was  wafting  the  incense  of  flowers 
toward  heaven,  the  wide  prospect — nature  all  around  in  its 
purity  and  grandeur  seeming  ready  to  say  Amen  to  the  pure 
and  great  word  of  Nature's  God  uttered  there  to  men  for 
man's  imperishable  soul.  We  cannot  but  contrast  the  scene 
of  that  morning  with  the  one  at  Sinai — its  barren  crags  with 
the  thunder  and  lightning  making  people  stand  afar  off  in 
fear,  and  remark  how  characteristic  the  two  scenes  were  of 
the  two  dispensations  to  which  they  belonged. 

Another  remark  forces  itself  here  on  our  notice,  and  that 
is  the  contrast  between  Christ  mingling  with  the  people,  and 
Shammai  and  Hillel,  the  celebrated  Rabbis  and  founders 
of  schools  in  Herod  the  Great's  time;  those  two  men 
described  by  Jost  as  mingling  "so  little  in  the  transactions 
of  their  times  that  they  became  mythical  personages ;"  and 
we  contrast  also  their  celebrated  sayings  with  the  clear, 
direct,  practical  doctrines  in  this  sermon  on  the  Mount. 

The  disciples  of  Christ  had  become  numerous,  and  he  had 
now  out  of  them  selected  twelve  whom  he  named  Apostles ,J 
that  is,  "  persons  to  be  sent  forth/7  who  were  to  be  more 
especial  attendants  on  his  acts  and  teachings  and  witnesses 
for  him  before  the  world. 

They  accompanied  him  in  this  ascent  of  the  mountain 
back  of  Capernaum,  as  did  also  many  persons  from  the  city 
and  regions  adjoining.2  When  on  reaching  the  summit 
he  sat  down — the  position  for  teaching — the  multitudes 
gathered  closely  around,  and  their  curiosity  was  intensified. 
The  circumstances  seemed  to  show  that  the  teaching  would 
be  of  a  more  important  character  than  usual.  What  would 
it  be?  We  can  see  them  closing  together,  so  as  not  to  lose 
a  word  of  what  might  be  uttered ;  their  eager  faces,  their 
silence  of  attention  and  their  listening  attitudes  giving  evi- 


1  Luke  vi.  13.  2  Inferred  from  Matt.  vii.  28. 


SERMON  ON  THE  MOUNT.  183 

dence  of  the  deep  interest  which  they  felt.  Were  angels 
also  listening?  We  believe  they  were,  and  generations 
since  that  of  the  tempted  and  tried  and  weary  and  sad  and 
of  the  longing  on  earth  for  heaven,  and  for  light  in  dark- 
ness, and  for  a  sure  foundation  for  faith  and  peace,  have 
gone  to  those  words  and  have  found  them  just  what  their 
souls  needed  most.  Yet  there  is  no  eloquence  of  words  in 
them,  no  overwhelming  grandeur  of  thought  or  sentiment; 
on  the  contrary,  the  language  is  very  plain  and  the  thoughts 
and  sentiments  are  marked  with  great  simplicity ;  but  we 
feel,  while  reading,  that  the  soul's  God  and  Maker  is  speak- 
ing to  the  soul,  speaking  to  it  in  kindness  and  love.  The 
scene  was  a  great  one,  where  those  words  ever  since  that 
time  so  productive  of  blessings  to  men  were  uttered.  In 
our  thoughts  we  glance  over  those  intensely  interested  multi- 
tudes, to  fix  our  eyes  where  theirs  were  fixed,  on  the  central 
object  of  that  assembly,  on  those  features  of  God-like  ex-** 
pression,  those  eyes  lighted  up  by  unutterable  love ;  on  the 
lineaments  where  the  Divinity  enthroned  was  taking  form 
to  the  human  eye.  In  all  that  grand  scene  of  nature  he 
shows  himself  worthy  to  be  highest  over  nature  and  in  hea- 
ven, and  we  hear  him  speaking  worthily  even  for  him ;  for 
they  are  the  words  of  eternal  life. 

When  the  occasion  was  over,  and  the  people  were  return- 
ing down  the  mountain  towards  their  homes,  they  went 
thoughtfully,  not  yet  recovered  from  the  astonishment  which 
had  settled  upon  them,  while  observing  his  doctrines  and 
his  manner :  for  they  all  felt  as  they  acknowledged  among 
themselves,  that  he  had  "  taught  them  as  one  having  author- 
ity, and  not  as  the  Scribes."1 

We  can  see  the  better  how  well  they  might  be  surprised 
when  we  come  to  read  of  the  usual  instructions  in  their 
synagogues,  and  to  notice  the  frivolous  subjects  of  the  teach- 


1  Matt.  vii.  29. 


184      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

ings  there.  In  order  that  the  reader  may  himself  forin 
some  idea  of  these,  we  here  give  quotations  from  Rabbinical 
writings  adduced  by  Lightfoot:  for  "although  the  words 
which  he  quotes  were  committed  to  paper  subsequently  to 
the  birth  of  Christ,  yet  they  are  generally  considered  as 
correct  representations  of  the  moral  and  religious  opinions 
which  the  Rabbis  inculcated  and  which  the  Jewish  people 
imbibed  and  observed  in  the  days  of  our  Saviour's  ministry."1 

We  present  some  extracts  made  by  that  scholar,  classified 
under  different  heads. 

"  Absurd  legends  and  stories. — *R.  Judah  sat  looking  in 
the  law  before  the  Babylonish  synagogue  in  Zippor :  there 
was  a  bullock  passed  by  him  to  the  slaughter,  and  it  lowed. 
Because  he  did  not  deliver  that  bullock  from  the  slaughter, 
he  was  struck  with  the  tooth-ache  for  the  space  of  thirteen 
years.'  Adam,  when  first  formed,  reached  from  earth  to 
^heaven,  and  had  a  tail  like  an  orang-outang.  Og,  of  Basan, 
walked  during  the  deluge  by  the  side  of  the  ark,  and  some- 
times rode  astride  on  it;  from  one  of  his  teeth  Abram  made 
a  bedstead.  The  wings  of  the  bird  Bar  Juchne,  when 
extended,  cause  an  eclipse  of  the  sun :  one  of  her  eggs, 
which  fell  from  her  nest,  broke  down  300  cedars  and  inun- 
dated sixty  villages,  <fec.,  &c.2 

"  Opinions  relative  to  the  Sabbath. — 'It  is  not  only  permit- 
ted to  lead  a  beast  out  to  watering  on  the  Sabbath  day :  but 
they  might  draw  water  for  him  and  pour  it  into  the  troughs, 
provided  only  they  do  not  carry  the  water  and  set  it  before 
the  beast  to  drink,  but  the  beast  comes  and  drinks  it  of  his 
own  accord.'  '  Women  may  not  look  into  a  looking-glass 
on  the  Sabbath  day,  if  it  be  fixed  to  a  wall/  'He  that  hath 
tooth-ache,  let  him  not  swallow  vinegar  to  spit  it  out  again: 
but  he  may  swallow  it,  so  he  swallow  it  down.  He  that 


1  Preface  to  Lightfoot's  works,  by  J.  R.  Pitman,  A.  M. 

2  These  legends  are  fully  equaled  among  \rabs  of  our  time. 


SERMON   ON  THE  MOUNT.  185 

hath  a  sore  throat,  let  him  not  gargle  it  with  oil ;  but  he 
may  swallow  down  the  oil,  whence  if  he  receive  a  cure,  it  is 
well.  Let  no  man  chew  mastich  or  rub  his  teeth  with  spice 
for  a  cure :  but  if  he  do  this  to  make  his  mouth  sweet,  it  is 
allowed/ 

"Superstition  with  regard  to  amulets,  charms,  magic,  &c. — 
The  senior  who  is  chosen  into  the  council  ought  to  be  skilled 
iu  the  arts  of  astrologers,  jugglers,  diviners,  sorcerers,  &c., 
that  he  may  be  able  to  judge  of  those  who  are  guilty  of  the 
same/  '  The  chamber  Happarva,  in  the  temple  itself,  was 
built  by  a  certain  magician,  whose  name  was  Parvah,  by  art 
magic/  '  Four  and  twenty  of  the  school  Rabbi,  intercala- 
ting the  year  at  Lydda,  were  killed  by  the  evil-eye/  i.  e., 
sorceries.  The  Talmud,  after  cautioning  its  votaries  against 
drinking  water  by  night,  lest  it  should  cause  dizziness  and 
blindness,  instructs  them,  if  they  so  drink,  to  guard  against 
these  maladies  by  repeating  Shivriri,  Vriri,  Riri,  Iri,  Ri. 
'  When  a  child  laughs  in  its  sleep  in  the  night  of  a  Sabbath, 
or  a  new  moon,  the  demon  Lilith  is  toying  with  it :  then  let 
the  parents  thrice  exclaim,  Begone  cursed  Lilith,  and  at  each 
exclamation  pat  the  nose  of  the  child/ 

"Hypocrisy  in  prayer. — '  R.  Joachin  said,  I  saw  R.  Jannai 
standing  and  praying  in  the  streets  of  Zippor;  and  going 
four  cubits,  and  then  praying  the  additional  prayer/ 

"Puerile  and  ridiculous  descriptions. — They  detail  the  num- 
ber of  angels  and  demons,  their  mode  of  birth,  precise 
names,  magnitude  and  stature,  residences  and  peculiar  offices. 
Equally  childish  are  the  reveries  of  the  Rabbis,  relative  to 
the  chorography  of  Paradise,  its  various  divisions  and  names 
thereof.  With  the  same  accuracy  they  mark  out  the  differ- 
ent compartments  of  Hell  or  Gehinnon ;  the  extent  and 
inmates  of  each  section,  the  various  intensities  of  penal  fire 
and  the  processes  of  purgation. 

"  Drunkenness  as  a  matter  of  religion. — '  Rabba  saith,  A 
man  is  bound  to  make  himself  so  mellow  on  the  feast  of 

16* 


1 86       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

Purim  that  he  shall  not  be  able  to  distinguish  between 
cursed  be  Hainan  and  blessed  be  Mordecai/ 

"  Absurd  calculations. — '  The  ladder  of  Jacob  is  the  ascent 
of  the  altar  and  the  altar  itself.  The  angels  are  princes  or 
monarchs.  The  king  of  Babylon  ascended  seventy  steps : 
the  king  of  the  Medes,  fifty-two ;  the  king  of  Greece,  180 : 
the  king  of  Edom — it  is  uncertain  how  many/  They 
reckon  the  breadth  of  the  ladder  to  have  been  about  8,000 
parasangs,  i.  e.,  about  32,000  miles,  and  the  bulk  of  each 
angel  was  about  8,000  English  miles  in  compass. 

"  Punctilious  washing  of  hands. — The  Rabbins  delivered, 
'  The  washing  of  hands  for  common  things  (or  common  food) 
was  unto  the  joining  of  the  arm/  '  The  second  waters 
cleanse  whatsoever  parts  of  the  hands  the  first  waters  had 
washed.  But  if  the  first  waters  had  gone  above  the  juncture 
of  the  arm,  the  second  waters  do  not  cleanse,  because  they 
do  not  cleanse  above  the  juncture.  If,  therefore,  the  waters 
which  went  not  above  the  juncture  return  upon  the  hands 
again,  they  are  unclean/  There  are  a  great  many  injunc- 
tions on  this  subject. 

"  National  vanity. — ( If  one  sees  one  of  the  Gentiles  fall 
into  the  sea,  he  shall  not  fetch  him  up;  for  it  is  said,  Thou 
shalt  not  stand  up  against  the  blood  of  thy  neighbor.  But 
such  an  one  is  not  thy  neighbor/  '  The  nations  of  the 
world  are  likened  to  dogs/  'An  Israelite  that  slayeth  a 
stranger  sojourning  among  them  is  not  to  be  put  to  death 
by  the  Sanhedrim  for  it;  because  it  is  said,  If  a  man  come 
presumptuously  upon  his  neighbor/  '  If  any  one's  ox  shall 
gore  his  neighbor's  ox ;  his  neighbor's  not  a  heathen's ;  when 
he  saith  neighbor's,  he  excludes  heathen's/  6  The  dust  of 
Syria  defiles,  as  well  as  the  dust  of  other  heathen  countries/ 
'  Wicked  heathen's  little  ones,  all  men  confess  they  shall  not 
come  into  the  world  to  come/  '  Whosoever  lives  within  the 
land  of  Israel  is  absolved  from  all  iniquities.  And  whoso- 
ever is  buried  within  the  land  of  Israel  is  as  if  he  were 


SERMON  ON   THE  MOUNT.  187 

buried  under  the  altar.'  f  The  men  of  Israel  are  wise,  for 
the  very  climate  makes  wise.' 

"Subtle  distinctions. — Any  spittle  found  in  the  city  was 
clean,  except  that  which  was  found  in  the  upper  streets.  The 
hinges  of  the  gates  of  the  temple  were  heard  as  far  as  a 
Sabbath-day's  journey  eight  times  numbered.  The  hinges 
indeed  not  farther,  but  the  gates  themselves  were  heard  to 
Jericho.  There  is  a  dispute  upon  that  precept,  Levit.  xvii.  3  : 
If  any  one  kill  a  bird  upon  a  holy-day,  the  Shammean  school 
saith, l  Let  him  dig  with  an  instrument  and  cover  the  blood/ 
The  school  of  Hillel  saith,  'Let  him  not  kill  at  all,  if  he 
have  not  dust  ready  by  him  to  cover  the  blood.' 

"Intricate  questions. — Whether  a  man  may  bless  God  for 
the  sweet  smell  of  incense  which  he  smells  offered  to  idols  ? 
"Whether  a  man  at  his  devotions,  if  a  serpent  come  and  bite 
him  in  the  heel,  may  turn  and  stoop  and  shake  it  off  or  not? 

"Logical  deductions. — The  Jews  do  gather  613  precepts, 
negative  and  affirmative,  to  be  in  the  whole  law,  according 
to  the  613  letters  in  the  two  tables,  and  so  many  veins  and 
members  in  a  man's  body.  '  While  he  asketh  necessaries 
for  himself,  let  him  not  use  any  language  but  the  Syriac, 
because  the  angels  do  not  understand  the  Syriac  language.' " 

More  in  the  same  style  might  be  adduced,  but  this  is  suffi- 
cient to  show  the  truth  of  Lightfoot's  account  of  the  Tal- 
muds,  that  "  the  amazing  emptiness  and  sophistry  of  the 
matters  handled  do  torture  and  tire  him  that  reads  them." 

Immediately  on  returning  from  the  mountain  to  Caper- 
naum the  Messiah  was  called  upon  again  to  exercise  his 
power  of  miraculous  healing ;  the  request  was  brought  this 
time  by  the  elders  of  the  city.  Jewish  elders  were  the 
princes  of  tribes  and  heads  of  family  associations.  It  was 
seldom  that  the  Jewish  rulers  showed  him  any  honors,  for 
there  seems  to  have  been  small  affinity  between  him  and 
them ;  but  they  now  came  by  entreaty  of  a  Roman  centu- 
rion who  instead  of  bearing  himself  haughtily  among  them, 


1 88      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

they  said,  "  loved  their  nation,  and  had  built  them  a  syna- 
gogue." His  servant  was  sick  of  palsy,  apparently  in  those 
frightful  spasms  when  paralysis  is  verging  on  apoplexy,  and 
was  "grievously  tormented."  The  centurion  fearing,  per- 
haps, that  his  being  a  foreigner  might  stay  the  benevolent 
hand  of  Christ,  asked  the  elders  to  solicit  him  to  come  and 
heal,  but  modesty  overwhelmed  him  even  in  this  solicitude ; 
for  while  the  Messiah  accompanied  by  the  rulers  was  on  the 
way  to  his  house,  friends  of  the  officer  were  sent  to  say  that 
their  master  did  not  deem  himself  worthy  to  receive  such  a 
visitor :  "  But  speak  only  the  word,  and  my  servant  shall  be 
healed.  For  I  am  a  man  under  authority,  having  soldiers 
under  me ;  and  I  say  to  this  man,  Go,  and  he  goeth ;  and 
to  another,  Come,  and  he  cometh ;  and  to  my  servant,  Do 
this,  and  he  doeth  it."  The  Messiah  turned  to  the  elders 
with  an  expression  of  admiration  at  the  man's  strong  faith, 
and  added,  that  many  such  of  other  nations  should  enter  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  while  unbelieving  Jews  should  be  cast 
into  outer  darkness,  where  "  there  shall  be  weeping  and 
gnashing  of  teeth.'7  They  went  no  further,  and  the  centu- 
rion's friends  returning  immediately  found  the  servant  well.1 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
NAIN.    . 

writer  of  this,  while  looking  out  one  day  from  an 
-L  upper  window  of  his  lodgings  in  Pera,  a  suburb  of 
Constantinople  on  the  opposite  side  of  "  The  Golden  Horn," 

1  Matthew  viii.  5-13 ;  Luke  vii.  1-10.  Matthew  speaks  of  the  centu- 
rion as  having  come  himself;  on  the  law-maxim  qui  facit  per  alium  facit 
per  se  ;  any  one  who  performs  an  act  by  another  performs  it  himself. 


NAIN.  191 

saw  just  below  him  a  procession  advancing  rapidly  up  the 
street.  It  was  headed  by  persons  carrying  on  their  shoul- 
ders a  species  of  bier  or  couch,  on  which  was  the  dead  body 
of  a  young  girl — one  who  might  have  been  sixteen  or  seven- 
teen years  of  age.  There  was  no  coffin,  simply  the  open 
couch,  and  the  deceased  lay  there  dressed  in  white  garments, 
such  as  she  had  worn  while  living,  the  face  uncovered, 
flowers  scattered  about  the  head  and  the  dress  and  bier ;  all 
reminding  one  but  little  of  death,  for  the  features  were  like 
those  of  a  person  in  a  quiet  sleep. 

But  still  there  was  unmistakably  there  the  majesty  of  death, 
that  majesty  which  every  one  recognizes,  and  before  which 
we  are  always  filled  with  awe. 

We  come  now  to  speak  of  a  scene  in  Galilee  connected 
with  death. 

The  reader  will  remember  that  parallel  to  Carmel,  the 
southwestern  boundary  of  Esdraelon  and  near  to  it,  is  the 
short  range  of  Mount  Gilboa,  and  then  also  parallel  but  a 
little  farther  to  the  north  another  similar  range,  called  Little 
Hermon.  From  the  northern  side  of  this  last  a  short  spur 
of  table  land  projects,-  on  which  in  those  days  was  a  small 
city,  called  Nain,  overlooking  the  plain  below,  with  Endor 
not  far  off,  and  Mount  Tabor  about  five  miles  to  the  north. 
The  time  of  this  scene  was  near  the  close  of  the  day.  Scarcely 
a  finer  spot  could  have  been  chosen  for  seeing  the  quiet  of 
evening  fall  over  the  great  landscape  of  Esdraelon  than  was 
this  plateau  of  Nain,  from  which  objects  below  were  all  dis- 
tinct— the  numerous  villages,  the  orchards,  the  signs  of  busy 
husbandry,  and  the  fields  of  waving  grain ;  for  the  time  we 
speak  of  was  at  the  harvest  season  over  that  immense  plain. 
But  as,  in  our  history,  we  may  consider  ourselves  outside  of 
Nain,  looking  down  over  the  interesting  scene,  we  hear  the 
quiet  of  the  evening  suddenly  broken  by  loud  wailings  from 
a  procession  issuing  from  one  of  the  city  gates,  and  direct- 
ing its  course  toward  an  adjoining  burial-place.  It  was  a 


192      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

funeral  procession  conducted  with  all  the  demonstrations  be- 
longing to  such  an  occasion  in  the  East. 

"  The  grief  of  the  orientals  formerly  on  the  occasion  of 
death,  was  as  it  is  at  this  day  in  the  East,  very  extreme. 
As  soon  as  a  person  died,  the  females  in  the  family  with 
a  loud  voice  set  up  a  sorrowful  cry.  They  continued  it 
as  long  as  they  could  without  taking  breath,  and  the 
first  shriek  of  wailing  died  away  in  a  low  sob.  After  a 
time  they  repeated  the  same  cry  and  continued  it  for  eight 
days. 

"  A  box  or  coffin  was  not  used  except  in  Babylon  and 
Egypt.  The  corpse  was  wrapped  in  folds  of  linen  and 
placed  upon  a  bier,  and  was  carried  by  four  or  six  persons 
to  the  tomb.  *  *  The  mourners  who  followed  the  bier, 
poured  forth  the  anguish  of  the  heart  in  lamentable  wails ; 
and  what  rendered  the  ceremony  still  more  affecting,  there 
were  eulogists  and  musicians  who  deepened  the  sympathetic 
feelings  of  the  occasion  by  a  rehearsal  of  the  virtues  of  the 
departed,  and  by  accompaniment  of  melancholy  sounds."1 

The  greatness  of  the  concourse2  attending  this  funeral  at 
Nain,  showed  the  respect  entertained  for  the  afflicted  family, 
and  how  wide  was  the  sympathy  felt  in  this  particular  case. 
The  deceased  had  been  an  only  son :  his  mother  was  a 
widow ;  and  the  mourning  here  had  the  depth  that  can  come 
only  from  such  utter  desolation  as  was  hers.  The  Jewish 
dead  were  always  buried  outside  their  towns :  and  the  pro- 
cession had  now  left  the  city  gate, — a  long  line  of  mourners 
filling  the  evening  air  with  their  lamentations  and  cries. 
The  corpse  was  borne  on  a  couch,  with  the  face  uncovered, 
as  was  the  custom  in  that  country: — those  calm  placid  fea- 
tures, and  that  depth  of  appalling  repose  in  the  corpse,  con- 
trasting strongly  with  the  agitations  of  the  mourners  and 


1  Jahn's  Archaeology.     See  also  Matt.  ix.  23,  and  xi.  17. 

2  Luke  vii.  12. 


NAIN.  193 

the  loud  cries  and  lamentations  as  the  procession  moved 
rapidly  on. 

Another  large  company  had  just  been  ascending  the  hill ; 
and  now  it  came  upon  the  mourning  train,  which  it  stopped  ; 
and  that  voice  which  we  have  listened  to  so  often, — those 
gentle  tones,  so  full  also  of  the  power  of  command,  said  to 
the  mother, 

"  Weep  not." 

The  Messiah  accompanied  by  his  disciples  had  again  left 
Capernaum,  in  his  unremitting  labors  of  teaching  and  heal- 
ing; and  on  his  way  to  this  place  had  been  joined  by  a 
large  concourse,  all  wrought  upon  by  the  feelings  which  such 
a  time  must  have  inspired,  curiosity,  reverence,  wonder,  and 
in  many  of  them  love :  for,  if  only  by  his  healings,  the  best 
affections  of  their  nature  had  been  roused.  It  had  been  an 
agitated  throng :  until  as  they  had  ascended  the  hill  at  Nain, 
the  noises  of  all  agitation  had  grown  hushed  under  the  influ- 
ences of  the  sounds  of  grief  from  the  mourning  procession. 
But  the  cries  of  grief  also  suddenly  ceased  :  and  then  there 
was  a  quick  gathering  of  both  companies  around  the  bier, 
expectation  in  its  intensest  form  manifesting  itself  in  every 
face,  with  awe  such  as  the  presence  of  death  always  begets ; 
and  hope  also  perhaps,  although  they  might  think  them- 
selves hoping  against  hope. 

For  here  on  that  bier  was  manifest  the  power  that  over- 
comes all  powers.  It  was  death.  Could  he  reverse  that 
decree  ? 

So  they  crowded  in  a  dense  mass  around  the  corpse,  silent 
though  deeply  agitated,  and  gazing  with  awe  on  the  calm 
stony  face  of  the  dead  man,  the  quiet  of  which  seemed  to  be 
almost  a  mockery  of  their  throbbing  hearts,  their  parted 
quivering  lips,  their,  strained  eyes. 

In  the  deep  silence  of  the  scene,  all  heard  the  words  ad- 
dressed to  the  mother,  "Weep  not:"  and  they  noticed  the 
tones  of  unwonted  compassion  observable  even  in  him  who 
ir 


194     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

was  always  so  compassionate.  He  touched  the  bier  and 
spake, 

"  Young  man,  I  say  unto  thee,  arise." 

— It  was  death  no  more.  The  chest  heaved,  the  features 
relaxed,  the  eyes  opened ;  the  marble  paleness  and  rigidity 
passed  away.  Life  was  there;  the  true  breathing,  active, 
perceptive  life.  The  eyes  of  the  restored  man  had  a  be- 
wildered, wondering  expression,  as  if  asking  what  all  this 
meant ;  but  the  ear  immediately  recognized  his  mother's  tones 
of  joy : — 

"  My  son,  my  son !" 

He  sat  up  and  began-  to  speak ;  and  the  crowd  freed  from 
the  spell  of  deathlike  stillness,  sent  up  loud  praises  to  God. 
They  cried  out  joyfully  and  confidently,  "  A  great  prophet 
is  risen  up  among  us :"  "  God  hath  visited  his  people." 

Amid  this  scene  of  their  rejoicing  there  was  a  more  sub- 
dued yet  touching  spectacle,  where  the  Messiah  was  de- 
livering to  the  mother  the  young  man  freed  from  the 
wrappings  for  the  grave ;  and  where  her  joy  and  gratitude 
were  trying  to  find  vent  in  broken  words ;  and  where  she 
clasped  her  recovered  son  tightly  to  her  heart,  as  if  to  feel 
of  a  certainty  that  it  was  all  real,  and  that  she  might  thus 
secure  herself  from  losing  him  again.1 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
CASTLE  OF  MACHERUS—  JOHN'S  DEATH. 

FAB,  over  all  Galilee,  and  through  all  Judea,  and  even 
into  the  remote  southern  borders  of  Perea,  went  the 
report  of  this  greatest  of  all  possible  miracles,  stirring  up 

1  Luke  vii.  11-15. 


CASTLE  OF  MA  CHER  US.  195 

wherever  it  spread,  a  belief  that  God  had  visited  his  nation. 
But  yet  even  amid  that  flush  of  joy  at  Nain,  and  the  cries 
of  Glory  to  God  by  that  empty  bier  from  which  Christ  had 
just  raised  the  dead,  the  shout  was  about  a  prophet  come, 
not  about  the  Messiah.  God,  they  believed  had  not  forgot- 
ten his  people,  and  had  sent  them  a  great  prophet ;  but  they 
kept  their  minds  obstinately  blinded  against  any  Messiahship, 
except  according  to  the  old  opinion,  of  their  glory  and  do- 
minion to  be  extended  over  all  the  world. 

The  rumor  of  this  scene,  and  the  rejoicings  and  hopes  it 
gave  rise  to,  reached  away  down  to  the  castle  of  Macherus, 
John's  place  of  strict  confinement,  where  the  vengeance  of  the 
tyrant  ruler  and  of  his  wicked  wife  had  never  once  relaxed. 
John  had  disciples  still,  who  were  allowed  to  visit  him ;  and 
they  came  now  and  told  him  of  what  had  occurred  at  Nam.1 
He  had  at  this  time  been  about  a  year  in  prison,  and  the 
long  confinement  had  worn  on  the  spirit  of  the  bold  and 
ardent  man.  It  must  have  been  to  him  indeed,  a  very 
wearisome  time ;  and  often  and  often  he  had  thought  during 
his  confinement,  of  the  sensual  tyrant  revelling  in  power 
and  luxury,  and  enjoying  freedom,  while  he  the  man  of  God 
was  left  seemingly  deserted  of  all  aid  human  or  divine. 
Doubts  of  God's  goodness  mix  up  with  such  thoughts  as 
these,  and  have  to  be  repelled  by  a  powerful  and  active 
faith ;  but  often  in  spite  of  faith,  they  will  yet  return.  If 
Jesus  was  the  Messiah, — so  the  Baptist  might  have  queried, 
—why  was  he  John,  left  deserted,  to  pine  away  in  solitude 
and  confinement  ?  There  was  in  Christ  the  power  of  won- 
derful miracles ;  why  was  it  not  exercised  for  him,  the  mes- 
senger sent  to  prepare  the  way  ?  Jesus  had  even  raised  the 
dead ;  why  was  there  no  word  to  set  him  the  living,  free  ? 
There  was  no  feeling  of  rivalry  or  envy  in  John,  nor  had 
there  ever  been ;  but  his  was  a  condition  where  the  soul  pines 


1  Luke  viii.  18. 


IQ6      LIFE-SCENES  FROM   THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

and  loses  force  under  long  restraints,  and  where  its  own 
thoughts  and  its  chafed  feelings  sometimes  become  its  worst 
tormentors.  The  various  reports  about  Christ ;  the  questions 
started  by  the  Rabbis ;  the  objections  from  the  poverty  of 
appearance  and  simplicity  of  life  in  Jesus ;  the  general  dis- 
position through  the  land  to  receive  him  only  as  a  great 
prophet ; — all  this  must  have  reached  John, — perhaps  in  dis- 
torted rumors;  moreover  the  gloom  of  confinement  is  al- 
ways fruitful  in  doubt.  So,  calling  two  of  his  disciples,  he 
sent  them  to  Jesus,  with  the  simple  but  pertinent  question — 
"  Art  thou  he  that  should  come,  or  look  we  for  another  ?" 
The  Messiah  made  no  immediate  reply,  when  the  message 
was  delivered ;  and  the  messengers  wondering  at  his  silence 
stood  aside  to  look  on  the  spectacle  now  presenting  itself. 
It  seems  to  have  been  at  Capernaum  ;*  but  wherever  it  was, 
the  sick  and  afflicted  were  now  coming  around  him,  and  he 
was  healing  all  who  came.  Among  them  were  numerous 
blind  men,2  groping,  stumbling,  pushing  their  way  among 
the  crowd,  with  the  energy  of  the  great  hope  that  was  in 
them,  and  with  their  plaintive  cry  to  Christ  for  help.  It 
was,  indeed,  an  exciting  scene ; — the  crowds  of  applicants ; 
the  anxiety  and  sympathy  of  friends ;  the  pathetic  earnest- 
ness of  all ;  the  gladness  and  rejoicings  of  the  relieved ;  the 
wonder  of  the  blind,  as  sight  was  given ;  their  exclamations 
at  what  they  saw;  their  earnest  gazings  on  that  face,  all 
radiant  with  the  divine  benevolence;  their  thanks  and 
praises,  shouted  out  in  return  for  this  blessing,  as  the  strange 
scenes  of  life  were  all  developed  to  their  eyes ;  as,  turning 
their  sight  everywhere,  upon  earth,  and  sky,  and  lake,  and 
upon  the  loved  face  of  friends,  and  upon  the  gazing  crowds 
around,  and  then  back  again  upon  the  Messiah,  they  drank 
in  the  joys  of  their  new  and  wonderful  life. 

The  disciples  of  John  looked  on  and  saw  it  all ;  and  they 


1  Inference  from  Matt.  xi.  23  2  Luke  vii.  21. 


CASTLE   OF  MACHERUS,  197 

heard,  from  the  crowds,  of  similar  miraculous  cures  of  other 
afflictions :  and  now.,  the  Messiah  calling  them,  charged  them 
to  go  and  report  to  their  master  what  they  had  witnessed 
and  heard;  and,  also,  that  "to  the  poor  the  gospel  is 
preached."  No  word  of  censure  on  John  for  his  doubts ; 
but  only  this  declaration,  "Blessed  is  he  whosoever  shall 
not  be  offended  in  me."1 

—Was  this  all  ? — So  these  messengers  might  have  said, 
as  they  went  on  their  long  journey  back  to  John's  gloomy 
prison-house  at  Macherus.  What  they  had  seen  and  heard 
was  decisive  as  to  the  Messiahship ;  but  could  there  be  no 
token  of  deliverance  for  John  himself?  no  hope  to  be  car- 
ried back  to  the  prisoner,  so  wearied,  so  worn,  and  so  sad  ? 
not  one  word  from  this  great,  loving  soul  of  Christ,  so  full 
of  benevolence  to  all  around  him,  so  ready  to  help  the 
abject?  no  cheering  hope  to  their  master  of  earthly  help 
from  Him  ?  There  was  none.  And  thus  it  ever  is  in  the 
mysteries  of  God :  often  he  seems  to  leave  us  deserted,  even 
when  we  look  most  for  his  help:  but,  "Blessed  are  they 
whosoever  shall  not  be  offended  in  him" 

John's  life  was,  however,  now  about  to  have  a  tragic  end. 
The  deadly  hate  of  the  wife  of  Herod  had  never  lost  sight 
of  him :  and  she  feared  also  the  influence  he  might  have  on 
the  Tetrarch,  who  in  his  heart  respected  and  honored  the 
Baptist,2  both  as  a  man  and  prophet.  At  the  first  of  his 
confinement  she  had  tried  to  instigate  the  tyrant  to  have 
him  executed  ;3  but  a  fear  of  John,  and  of  the  influence  he 
had  over  the  people,  restrained  the  ruler :  but  now  an  oppor- 
tunity suddenly  offered,  of  which  she  immediately  availed 
herself.  Herod,  on  his  birth-day,  gave  a  great  supper  to 
his  lords  and  captains,  and  chief  estates  of  Galilee ;  and 
when  all  were  inflamed  with  wine,  the  daughter  of  this 
woman  came  in  and  danced  for  the  amusement  of  the  com- 


Luke  vii.  23.  2  Mark  vi.  20.  8  Ib.  19. 


198      LIFE-SCENES   FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

pany.  The  dancing  in  the  east,  unlike  what  it  is  with  us, 
is  mostly  a  slow  and  graceful  posturizing,  with  a  gentle 
movement  of  the  arms  and  body :  and  it  is  often,  also,  las- 
civious. It  is  seldom  that  any  woman  of  rank  or  dignity 
takes  part  in  it ;  and  among  the  Jews,  it  was  highly  indeco- 
rous for  a  woman  even  to  appear  at  any  time  before  strangers 
without  being  veiled :  but,  in  this  case,  all  seems  to  have 
been  forgotten  in  the  madness  of  the  hour;  and,  in  that 
madness  the  Tetrarch,  in  return  for  the  exhibition  of  herself 
swore  to  give  her  what  she  might  ask,  even  if  it  should  be 
the  half  of  his  kingdom.  The  oath  was  before  all  the 
lordly  company :  and  the  girl,  with  high  gratification,  with- 
drew immediately  to  consult  with  her  mother  as  to  what  she 
should  demand.  The  fiendish  woman  sprang  at  the  oppor- 
tunity ;  and  told  her  to  require  the  head  of  John  the  Baptist 
in  a  charger.  The  demand  was  made;  and  a  feeling  of 
horror  passed  through  the  company.  The  king  would  have 
canceled  his  promise ;  but  it  was  made  so  publicly,  and  in 
the  presence  of  such  high  officers,  that  pride  and  the  fear  of 
incurring  ridicule,  forbade  it ;  and  the  order  for  execution, 
as  she  had  required,  was  given.  The  head  of  John  was 
delivered  in  a  salver  to  the  girl,  and  from  her  to  her  mother. 

The  disciples  of  John  came  and  received  the  body  and 
buried  it ;  and  then  passed  on  to  Galilee  to  communicate  the 
circumstance  to  the  Messiah. 

How  many  of  such  mysteries  of  human  life  remain  to 
be  cleared  up  when  the  great  day  of  reckoning  shall  come, 
and  Christ  shall  sit  for  the  eternal  judgment !  In  the  mean- 
time, we  walk  by  faith,  and  not  by  sight;  and,  amid  seeming 
incongruities  in  providences,  we  have  the  words  still  repeated 
down  from  the  old  times,  "Blessed  is  he  whosoever  shall 
not  be  offended  in  me." 


THE    TWO  DINNERS.  199 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
THE  TWO  DINNERS.— HEALINGS.— NAZARETH,  &C. 

THE  query  how,  with  all  these  miracles  before  them, 
could  the  Jewish  rulers  fail  to  be  convinced?  has  some- 
times been  asked  with  a  secret  sentiment  perhaps  at  the 
bottom  of  it  that  the  miracles  were  not  what  they  claim  to 
have  been.  Demonstrations  such  as  these  profess  to  have 
been,  if  perfectly  clear  and  satisfactory,  must  have  been  fully 
convincing,  such  querists  say.  People  were  not  convinced, 
therefore  these  demonstrations  themselves  were  doubtful. 
We  have  not  room  here  to  discuss  the  subject  of  miracles, 
except  so  far  as  it  refers  to  the  Jews :  in  its  wider  aspects,  it 
will  be  found  fully  and  satisfactorily  argued  in  other  books. 

As  to  the  Jewish  rulers,  they  were  clearly  unwilling  to 
believe;-  and  with  such  unwillingness,  they  soon  found 
means  for  parrying  the  evidence.  Quickly  their  unwilling- 
ness grew  into  a  set  hostility :  and  we  need  not  go  back  to 
those  times  in  order  to  see  how  enmity  will  darken  the  rea- 
son, and  warp  the  judgment,  and  grow  ingenious  in  finding 
arguments  for  abundant  nourishment  to  itself. 

To  yield  their  belief  that  Christ,  inculcating  humility  both 
by  doctrine  and  example  and  saying  that  his  kingdom  was 
not  of  this  world,  was  the  promised  "  Messiah,  the  Prince/' 
would  be  to  give  up  all  their  dearest  earthly  hopes,  their 
expectations  to  see  the  hated  Roman  power  humbled,  and 
themselves  triumphant  over  the  world.  Fidelity  to  their 
old  prophets,  who  they  believed  had  predicted  this  earthly 
glory;  fidelity  to  their  nation,  to  their  families,  to  every- 
thing hopeful  for  the  future,  seemed  from  the  first  to  forbid 
their  receiving  Christ.  Soon  the  feeling  grew  into  hatred, 


200      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

for  he  was  denouncing  the  Traditions,  their  greatest  source 
of  power ;  he  was  drawing  the  people  after  him  and  away 
from  them.  The  Jewish  hate  had  seemingly  a  rancor  be- 
longing only  to  itself,  and  Christ  and  every  one  connected 
with  him  might  look  for  it  in  its  most  subtle  and  deadly 
furms. 

Therefore  as  respects  these  miracles  which  were  so  open 
and  so  decided  in  character  (as  well  as  numerous)  that  the 
facts  could  not  be  controverted,  the  Pharisees  and  Scribes  met 
these  facts  in  their  own  peculiar  way,  as  the  following  inci- 
dent will  show : 

The  Messiah  was  again  passing  through  all  Galilee, 
"  preaching  and  showing  the  glad  tidings  of  the  kingdom 
of  God," 1  and  there  was  brought  before  him  "  one  possessed 
with  a  devil,  blind  and  dumb,"  whom  he  healed,  so  that  the 
man  both  spake  and  saw.  There  was  a  cry  of  admiration 
from  the  spectators : 

"  Is  not  this  the  son  of  David  ?"     The  Pharisees  rejoined, 

"  This  fellow  doth  not  cast  out  devils  but  by  Beelzebub 
the  prince  of  the  devils." 

He  cut  short  their  logic : 

"  Every  kingdom  divided  against  itself  is  brought  to  de- 
eolation,  and  every  city  or  house  divided  against  itself  shall 
not  stand.  And  if  Satan  cast  out  Satan,  he  is  divided 
against  himself:  how  shall  then  his  kingdom  stand?"  and 
then,  after  some  other  remarks,  he  gave  a  terrible  warning 
respecting  the  sin  of  which  they  had  just  been  guilty : 

"All  manner  of  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven 
unto  men:  but  the  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost  shall 
not  be  forgiven  unto  men.  And  whosoever  speaketh  a  word 
against  the  Son  of  man,  it  shall  be  forgiven  him ;  but  who- 
soever speaketh  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  shall  not  be  for- 
given him,  neither  in  this  world,  neither  in  the  world  to 


J  Luke  viii.  1. 


THE   TWO  DINNERS.  20 1 

come.  *  *  O  generation  (brood)  of  vipers,  how  can  ye,  being 
evil,  speak  good  things?  for  out  of  the  abundance  of  the 
heart  the  mouth  speaketh."1 

Soon  after  this  he  was  invited  by  a  Pharisee  to  dine  in 
his  house,  and  he  went,  but  he  found  himself  there  in  the 
midst  of  an  assembly — Pharisees  and  Scribes  and  Lawyers — 
from  whose  presence  nothing  but  hostility  could  be  expected. 
In  those  countries,  for  a  man  to  invite  another  to  break 
bread  with  him  is  to  place  the  latter  at  once  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  host,  who  is  bound  then  to  defend  him  if  ne- 
cessary even  with  his  life ;  and  in  all  nations  persons  who 
invite  a  stranger  to  dinner  are  expected  by  the  rules  of  hos- 
pitality to  have  the  company  at  least  not  hostile  to  the  guest. 
The  Messiah,  on  looking  around  in  this  room,  could  see 
faces  in  which  enmity  if  concealed  for  the  present  was  ready 
at  any  moment  to  break  forth,  for  they  were  the  class  of 
men  who  had  already  leagued  with  the  Herodians  for  his 
destruction. 

At  the  outset  the  captious  spirit  of  his  host  was  displayed, 
because  the  guest  had  not  conformed  to  a  Jewish  practice 
proper  to  some  extent,  but  which  the  Pharisees  had  in- 
wrought into  their  system  of  traditional  law,  so  as  to  give  it 
prominence  among  those  things  making  religion  consist  in 
external  observances  of  their  own  prescription  and  not  in 
the  heart.  "For  the  Pharisees  and  all  the  Jews,  except 
they  wash  their  hands  oft,  eat  not,  holding  the  tradition  of 
the  elders.  And  when  they  come  from  the  market,  except 
they  wash,2  they  eat  not.  And  many  other  things  there  be, 
which  they  have  received  to  hold,  as  the  washing  of  cups 
and  pots  and  brazen  vessels  and  tables."  On  another  occa- 
sion than  the  present,  when  Christ  was  upbraided  with  the 
practice  of  his  disciples  on  this  subject,  he  replied,  "  Well 


1  Matt.  xii.  22-34. 

*  For  their  silly  rules  in  this  washing,  see  page  186  of  this  book. 


202      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

hath  Esaias  prophesied  of  you  hypocrites,  as  it  is  written, 
This  people  honoreth  me  with  their  lips,  but  their  heart  is 
far  from  me.  Howbeit,  in  vain  do  they  worship  me,  teaching 
for  doctrines  the  commandments  of  men.  For  laying  aside 
the  commandment  of  God,  ye  hold  the  tradition  of  men,  as 
the  washing  of  pots  and  cups :  and  many  other  such  like 
things  ye  do.  And  he  said  unto  them,  Full  well  ye  reject 
the  commandment  of  God,  that  ye  may  keep  your  own  tra- 
dition. For  Moses  said,  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother ; 
and,  Whoso  curseth  father  or  mother,  let  him  die  the 
death ;  but  ye  say,  If  a  man  shall  say  to  his  father  or  mo- 
ther, It  is  Corban  [devoted  to  God],  that  is  to  say,  a  gift  by 
whatsoever  thou  mightest  be  profited  by  me,  he  shall  be  free. 
And  ye  suffer  him  no  more  to  do  aught  for  his  father  or  his 
mother :  making  the  word  of  God  of  none  effect  through 
your  tradition  which  ye  have  delivered :  and  many  such  like 
things  do  ye." ' 

Such  was  the  system  upheld  by  the  individuals  whom 
Christ  beheld  around  him  now  at  this  dinner,  and  by  one 
of  whom,  his  host,  he  was  immediately  cavilled  at  for  not 
conforming  to  one  of  those  traditionary  rules.  His  reply 
was  direct  and  pointed  :  "  Now  do  ye  Pharisees  make  clean 
the  outside  of  the  cup  and  the  platter ;  but  your  inward  part  is 
full  of  ravening  and  wickedness.  *  *  *  Woe  unto  you, 
Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites !  for  ye  are  as  graves  which 
appear  not,  and  the  men  that  walk  over  them  are  not  aware 
of  them." 

"  Master,  thus  saying  thou  reproachest  us  also." 

The  speakers  now  were  the  lawyers  present,  men  whose 
business  in  life  it  was  to  expound  the  unwritten  law.  He 
turned  to  them: 

"  Woe  unto  you  also,  ye  lawyers !  for  ye  lade  men  with  bur- 
dens grievous  to  be  borne,  and  ye  yourselves  touch  not  the  bur- 


1  See  Mark  vii.  6-13. 


THE   TWO  DINNERS.  203 

dens  with  one  of  your  fingers.  *  *  Woe  unto  you,  lawyers!  for 
ye  have  taken  away  the  key  of  knowledge ;  ye  entered  not 
in  yourselves,  and  them  that  were  entering  in  ye  hindered.7' 

The  scene  presently  became  a  tumultuous  one,  for  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees  "began  to  urge  him  vehemently  and 
to  provoke  him  to  speak  of  many  things ;  laying  wait  for  him, 
and  seeking  to  catch  something  out  of  his  mouth  that  they 
might  accuse  him."1 

On  his  return  to  the  Lake  of  Galilee,  the  multitudes  still 
pressing  about  him  in  great  numbers,2  he  sought  refuge  as 
on  a  former  occasion,  in  a  vessel  by  the  shore,  and  taught 
them  thence,  conveying  his  teachings  as  was  very  often  the 
case,  in  parables.3  A  parable  is  "an  allegorical  representation 
of  something  in  real  life  or  nature  from  which  a  moral  is  drawn 
for  instruction,"  and  was  a  mode  of  teaching  common  among 
a  people  so  fond  of  figurative  language. 

In  the  evening  he  directed  the  vessel  to  be  launched 
out,  so  as  to  proceed  to  the  other  side ;  and  quite  wearied, 
he  sank  into  profound  sleep  at  the  stern.  One  of  those 
sudden  squalls  to  which  the  lake  is  subject  came  rushing 
down  from  the  mountains,  the  waves  rose  and  surged  into 
the  boat  till  it  was  near  foundering,  when  the  disciples 
awoke  him:  "Master,  Master,  we  perish."  He  rebuked 
the  wind  and  water,  and  there  was  a  calm.  They  said 
to  each  other,  "  What  manner  of  man  is  this  that  even  the 
winds  and  the  sea  obey  him  ?" 

On  the  eastern  shore  he  healed  two  demoniacs  who  had 
been  "  exceeding  fierce,  so  that  no  man  might  pass  by  that 
way." 

When  he  had  returned  to  the  western  side  of  the  lake  a 
great  feast  was  made  for  him  by  Levi,  (Matthew),  one  far 
different  from  that  at  the  Pharisee's  house ;  for  his  fellow- 
guests  here  were  the  despised  and  outcast  members  of  so- 


1  Luke  xi.  37-54.  2  Matt.  xiii.  1,  2. 

3  Luke  xii.  1-59;  xiii.  1-9  ;  Mark  xiii.  1-53. 


204     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

ciety — publicans  and  sinners,  "  for  they  were  many  and  they 
followed  him."  They  were  invited  in  to  the  feast,  and  Mat- 
thew, it  will  be  remembered,  had  been  himself  a  publican. 
The  prying  eyes  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  followed  him 
here,  and  these  men  came  now  to  his  disciples  with  indigna- 
tion, complaining,  "  How  is  it  that  he  eateth  and  drinketh  with 
publicans  and  sinners?"  Christ  had  been  looking  on  the  guests 
with  tenderness  of  regard,  for  they  were  men  whose  ears  were 
open  to  truth,  and  their  very  outcast  position  in  society 
made  them  draw  near  to  him  who  was  ever  the  friend  of  the 
lowly.  He  answered,  "  They  that  are  whole  have  no  need 
of  the  physician,  but  they  that  are  sick ;  I  came  not  to  call 
the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance." 

A  very  beautiful  spectacle  indeed  it  was — the  crowds  of 
the  lowly  in  life,  often  the  despised,  gathering  about  him  as 
one  of  whose  sympathy  and  kindness  they  were  sure;  while 
he,  though  so  truly  great,  was  never  among  them  in  a  con- 
descension of  goodness,  but  with  a  truth  of  love  whose  supe- 
riority could  be  felt  only  in  its  trying  to  elevate  all  and  draw 
them  up  to  itself;  his  purity  never  soiled,  and  the  Divinity 
within  him  never  lowered  by  this  mingling  with  the  abject 
of  earth. 

Once  more,  after  this  feast  with  Levi,  came  an  urgent  ap- 
peal for  help ;  this  one  from  a  Jewish  ruler,  a  father,  who 
hurried  to  Christ  and  worshipped  him. 

"  My  daughter  is  even  now  dead,  but  come  and  lay  thy 
hand  upon  her  and  she  shall  live." 

The  Messiah  went,  and  on  the  way  a  woman  long  dis- 
eased, who  touched  but  the  hem  of  his  garment,  was  healed. 
In  the  ruler's  house  he  restored  the  daughter  to  life. 

He  had  passed  out  again,  and  was  on  his  way  along  the 
street,  when  there  was  raised  after  him  a  loud  and  most 
plaintive  cry — 

"  Thou  Son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  us !" 

These  words  seem  to  be  almost  ringing  in  our  ears,  so  true 


THE   TWO  DINNERS.  205 

they  are  to  nature,  like  the  language  of  simple  earnestness 
in  entreaty,  and  so  sad  from  suffering.  They  were  from  two 
blind  men,  who  had  been  informed  that  Jesus  was  passing, 
and  who  fearing  to  lose  a  moment  raised  the  cry. 

He  made  no  immediate  response,  but  they  continued  call- 
ing after  him  with  plaintive  appeal,  "  Thou  Son  of  David, 
have  mercy  on  us !"  and  they  followed  him  into  the  house. 
He  said  to  them  : 

"Believe  ye  that  I  am  able  to  do  this?" 

"Yea,  Lord." 

"  According  to  your  faith  be  it  unto  you ;"  and  he  touched 
their  eyes.  Light  flashed  in ;  they  saw ;  their  ecstasy  was 
loud. 

"  See  that  no  man  know  it,"  he  said  to  .them ;  but  they 
knew  not  how  to  be  silent,  and  went  proclaiming  their  joy 
and  the  deed  all  abroad. 

Yet,  with  all  this  fame  of  miracles  wrought  throughout 
Galilee,  where  men  had  glorified  God  everywhere  for  his 
having  come,  the  Messiah  was  at  this  period  rejected  again 
at  Nazareth,  even  although  this  town  was  but  a  short  dis- 
tance (eight  miles)  from  Nain,  where  he  had  recently  given 
life  to  the  dead. 

He  was  now  making  a  third  circuit  through  Galilee,  visit- 
ing all  the  cities  and  villages,  teaching  in  their  synagogues 
preaching  "  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom,  healing  every  sick- 
ness and  every  disease  among  the  people/' l  He  came  to 
Nazareth  in  his  journey,  and  again  as  usual  went  to  their 
synagogue  on  the  Sabbath-day  to  preach.  The  citizens 
crowded  there  as  before,  full  of  curiosity,  and  were  puzzled 
and  greatly  perplexed.  They  looked  and  listened  with  as- 
tonishment, as  words  of  power  fell  from  his  lips,  and  as 
they  witnessed  the  greatness  of  the  being  before  them  in 
that  depth  of  wisdom  and  that  extent  of  knowledge  of 


1  Matt.  ix.  35. 
18 


206      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

Divine  things  which  was  shown  in  his  discourse;  his  preaching 
also  upheld  by  such  miraculous  powers  as  rumor  had  brought 
to  their  ears,  and  which  many  of  them  may  have  witnessed 
themselves.  Yet,  with  a  pertinacity  which  only  a  deter- 
mined and  set  jealousy  could  produce,  they  clung  to  the 
old  ideas  and  said,  "  Is  not  this  the  carpenter,  the  son  of 
Mary,  the  brother  of  James  and  Joses,  and  of  Juda,  and 
of  Simon?  And  are  not  his  sisters  here  with  us?'  Swayed 
back  and  forth  during  this  discourse;  one  way  by  the  power 
of  his  words,  by  his  quiet  majesty  of  manner,  and  by  that 
strange,  singular  Presence  which  forced  the  acknowledg- 
ment from  enemies,  that  "Never  man  spake  like  this  man ;" 
and  then  carried  again  into  the  opposite  by  the  humble  cir- 
cumstances of  his  bringing-up,  they  settled  at  last  into  offence 
at  his  claims,  and  he  left  them ;  nor  does  it  seem  probable 
that  he  ever  again  returned  to  Nazareth. 

"  A  prophet,"  he  said,  "  is  not  without  honor  but  in  his 
own  country,  and  among  his  own  kin,  and  in  his  own  house.7' 
He  laid  his  hands  there  on  a  few  sick  persons  and  healed 
them. 

But  the  work  of  teaching  was  more  than  one  individual 
could  perform,  unless  his  presence  was  miraculously  multi- 
plied, so  large  was  the  field  of  labor,  and  the  necessity  for 
teaching  so  great ;  for  ideas  had  to  be  again  and  again  re- 
peated in  the  ears  of  people  so  long  misled  by  false  teach- 
ings, and  made  obtuse  by  the  Pharisaic  absurdities.  There- 
fore the  Messiah  now  paused  in  his  course  to  prepare  his 
twelve  apostles  and  to  send  them  out  to  teach,  with  power 
also  to  heal.  They  were  not  to  excite  the  prejudices  of  the 
Jewish  people  at  present  by  teaching  beyond  their  own 
nation,  the  time  for  a  far  wider  mission  being  not  yet  come. 
They  were  to  go  out,  two  together,  and  in  simple  manner, 
trusting  in  God  for  what  in  respect  to  food  and  shelter  might 
be  needed  on  the  way,  and  with  a  still  higher  trust  in  him, 
if  they  should  be  brought  before  governors  and  kings  for 


"LET   US  MAKE  HIM  A  KING."  207 

their  Master's  sake.  The  Spirit  of  God  was  to  be  in  them, 
and  to  help  them  in  all  such  trials.  What  was  to  be  their 
reward?  Honors  and  applauses?  No;  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, they  were  to  be  hated  of  all  men  for  his  name's  sake. 
They  were  to  endure.  That  was  to  be  their  lot,  endurance  ; 
and  this  to  the  end ;  and  after  life  was  over,  then  was  to  be 
their  reward.  People  had  accused  him  of  being  leagued  with 
Beelzebub,  "the  prince  of  devils,"  thus  associating  him 
with  one  believed  by  the  Jews  to  be  the  author  of  all  pol- 
lutions and  abominations  in  heathen  worship ;  and  "  how," 
he  said,  "could  they,  his  disciples,  hope  to  escape?"  But 
in  all  this  they  were  to  be  strengthened  and  supported  from 
on  high,  and  finally  their  reward  would  come.  They  were 
to  go  in  the  loftiest  heroism,  both  physical  and  moral,  and 
must  not  dare  to  shrink  from  duty.  "  He  that  findeth  his 
life  shall  lose  it ;  and  he  that  loseth  his  life  for  my  sake 
shall  find  it." 

Such  were  the  instructions  and  the  admonitions  and  warn- 
ings given  :  thus  he  sent  them  forth, — the  first  ministers  of 
his  word. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
« LET  US  MAKE  HIM  A  KING." 

THE  rumors  of  what  Christ  was  doing  had  reached  the 
royal  palace,  and  were  creating  great  perplexity  among 
its  inmates.  The  base  tyrant,  now  probably  at  his  Galilean 
capital,  was  far  from  feeling  at  ease  after  the  death  of  John; 
for  the  murder  had  left  behind  it,  in  the  royal  actors  in  that 
scene,  a  guilty  conscience  and  its  attendant  alarms. 


208      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

The  sensation  was  increased  by  a  rumor  that  John  was 
risen  from  the  dead ;  for  that  was  the  belief  of  some  in  the 
palace  when  they  heard  of  these  wonderful  scenes  in  Galilee ; 
their  guilty  fears  at  once  suggesting  that  he  had  come  back 
perhaps  to  be  an  avenger  in  their  midst ;  others  said  that  it 
was  Elijah  restored  from  the  dead ;  and  some  of  them  more 
indefinitely,  that  "  one  of  the  old  prophets  was  risen  again." 

Herod  said,  "  John  have  I  beheaded ;  but  who  is  this  of 
whom  I  hear  such  things  ?"  and  he  desired  to  have  a  sight 
of  the  individual  causing  such  a  sensation  throughout  the 
land.1  He  was  not  gratified  however  at  this  time. 

The  twelve  now  returned  to  the  Messiah  at  Capernaum, 
giving  an  account  of  what  during  their  recent  mission,  they 
had  done  and  taught. 

They  found  such  multitudes  about  him,  that  he  had  not 
opportunity  for  even  the  needed  refreshment  of  food. 
Crowds  were  coming  and  going  continually,  and  making 
constant  demands  upon  his  time  and  energies ;  and  nature 
became  now  quite  exhausted,  and  could  endure  it  no  longer. 
He  could  refuse  no  one  coming  thus  with  earnest  appeal* 
to  his  sympathy  and  kindness;  but  rest  was  absolutely 
needed  for  his  human  frame ;  and  therefore,  having  directed 
his  disciples  to  have  a  boat  prepared  privately,  he  sought 
the  requisite  retirement  by  crossing  the  lake  toward  its 
north-eastern  shore. 

But  the  crowds  followed.  Some  of  the  company  had  re- 
cognized him  in  the  boat  when  leaving  the  city;  and  the 
multitudes  passing  round  the  head  of  the  lake,  were  soon 
gathered  about  him  once  more,  on  the  other  side.  His  sym- 
pathies were  deeply  stirred  by  their  earnestness,  and  his 
compassion  moved  by  their  moral  destitution;  "for  they 
were  as  sheep  not  having  a  shepherd."  Having  had  some 


Luke  ix.  7-9. 


"LET   US  MAKE  HIM  A   KING."  209 

rest  in  the  boat,  he  recommenced  there  both  his  teaching  and 
healing.  For  the  sick  had  also  continued  to  reach  this 
place,  having  helped  themselves  along,  or  been  carried  by 
their  friends. 

The  mountains  east  of  the  lake  have  already  been  de- 
scribed as  rising  in  green  rapid  slopes ;  and  these  appear  to 
have  been  more  a  pastoral  region  than  the  western  side.  But 
on  this  occasion,  the  slopes  were  quickly  covered  by  a  crowd 
amounting  to  5,000  men,  besides  women  and  children,1  all 
actuated  by  the  deepest  earnestness,  which  they  had  shown 
by  having  followed  him  so  far.  To  persons  with  such  a 
feeling,  the  Messiah's  kindness  and  tenderness  were  ever 
open  ;  and  he  continued  his  instructions  and  his  healing  till 
a  late  hour  in  the  afternoon.  His  disciples  then  came  to 
him  and  said : 

"  This  is  a  desert  place,  and  now  the  time  is  far  passed  : 
send  them  away,  that  they  may  go  into  the  country  round 
about,  and  into  the  villages,  and  buy  themselves  bread :  for 
they  have  nothing  to  eat."  He  answered  : 

"  They  need  not  depart ;  give  ye  them  to  eat."  The  dis- 
ciples were  astonished  at  the  order. 

"We  have  here  but  five  loaves  and  two  fishes,"  they 
said. 

"  Bring  them  hither  to  me." 

They  were  brought ;  and  he  directed  the  disciples  to  make 
the  people  sit  down  in  companies  on  the  grass.  He  took 
the  bread  and  fishes  ;  and  looking  up  to  heaven,  he  blessed 
and  brake  the  loaves,  and  gave  the  food  to  his  disciples ; — • 
the  disciples  then  distributing  it  about  among  the  hungry 
people.  They  ate  abundantly,  the  food  seemingly  exhaust- 
less  ;  for  it  never  failed  in  that  unstinted  meal :  and  after- 
ward, when  all  were  satisfied,  what  remained  was  gathered 
up  by  his  orders,  making  twelve  baskets  of  fragments.2 


i  Matt.  xiv.  21.  »  Mark  vi.  31-14. 

18* 


210      LIFE-SCENES   FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

Astonishment  took  possession  of  all  the  multitude,  for 
they  knew  how  scant  had  been  the  first  supply,  and  by  what 
a  miraculous  power  it  had  been  increased :  and,  as  they  had 
sat  there  on  the  grass,  their  eyes  ranging  over  the  thousands 
so  fully  satisfied,  their  feelings  took  words,  and  by-and-by 
these  words  began  to  have  a  singular  purpose.  The  scene 
brought  to  their  minds  what  they  had  read  concerning  the 
bountiful  supply  afforded  by  Jehovah  himself  to  their  fore- 
fathers on  the  deserts  of  Arabia.  Here  was  a  similar 
miraculous  provision  of  food ;  what  was  left  after  feeding 
so  many  thousand  being  even  more  abundant  than  the  origi- 
nal quantity.  The.  visible  power  of  God  seemed  to  have 
come  down  into  their  nation  once  more.  Why  not  recog- 
nize it?  they  thought  and  said.  They  had  been  listening 
that  afternoon  to  teachings  such  as  had  never  been  heard 
from  any  one  on  earth  before,  so  pure,  so  godlike :  they  had 
gazed  with  affection  mingled  with  awe,  on  those  features 
where  a  divine  love  seemed  to  be  enthroned :  they  had  seen 
this  person  receiving  the  diseased  with  such  readiness  and 
gentleness :  and  had  seen  them  after  they  had  been  healed, 
dismissed  with  such  words  of  kindness,  that  their  hearts 
were  all  in  harmony  with  their  mental  convictions,  as  they 
said  to  each  other,  "  This  is  of  a  truth,  the  Prophet  that 
should  come  into  the  world." 

But  they  went  further.  Enthusiasm  is  contagious ;  and 
it  is  apt  to  be  progressive.  Daniel  had  spoken  of  the  Mes- 
siah as  THE  PRINCE,  and  their  whole  nation,  and  even 
foreign  nations,  had  been  expecting  a  mighty  king.  Here 
was  the  Messiah  now  among  them.  "  Let  us  make  him  a 
king!" 

He  had  been  so  humble  in  his  mode  of  life,  and  so  retir- 
ing and  unambitious,  that  they  must  act  for  him, — so  they 
thought, — and  put  him  into  the  high  place  which  the  prophet 
had  designated  for  him,  and  for  which  he  was  so  well  quali- 
fied. With  Jesus  for  king,  what  might  not  their  nation 


"LET  US  MAKE  HIM  A   KING."  2U 

become?  Such  wisdom,  such  majesty,  such  power  over  the 
laws  of  nature,  even  creative  power  in  his  hands,  all  seem- 
ingly only  waiting  to  be  raised  to  that  position  of  honor 
which  was  their  right !  There  might  be  resistance  from 
Herod ;  but  that  Tetrarch  was  already  trembling  with  imagi- 
nary fears  in  his  palace.  There  would  doubtless  be  hos- 
tility from  the  Roman  government ;  but  what  government, 
or  what  array  of  arms,  could  withstand  such  power  as  was 
ever  resting  quietly  in  their  Messiah,  waiting  for  exercise  ? 
There  would  be  acquiescence  on  the  part  of  their  Scribes 
and  Pharisees,  when  they  once  saw  that  the  glory  of  their 
nation  and  wide  dominion  were  to  be  the  result.  So  the 
multitude  could  readily  argue :  and  thus  the  excitement  on 
that  mountain-side  increased,  till  whispers  turned  into  out- 
spoken words,  and  words  into  open  demonstration;  and 
presently  there  was  evidence  that  they  were  coming  to  take 
the  Messiah  "  by  force,  to  make  him  a  king."1 

But  his  kingdom  was  to  be  of  a  far  different  nature  from 
that ; — one  in  the  hearts  of  redeemed  men,  and  to  be  eternal : 
and  knowing  the  intentions  of  the  multitude,  he  quieted 
and  dismissed  them  before  they  could  commit  themselves  in 
the  eyes  of  the  authorities ;  and  then  "  departed  again  into 
a  mountain  himself  alone,"2  for  communion  with  heaven. 

He  had  previously  sent  his  disciples  back  to  the  boat  with 
directions  to  proceed  to  Bethsaida,8  on  the  other  side  of  the 
lake ;  for  there  was  a  town  of  that  name  in  Galilee,  to  the 
north  of  Capernaum,  or  more  probably  the  Bethsaida  of 
Gaulonitis  extended  also  across  to  the  west  of  the  Jordan. 
This  lake  lying  so  far  below  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean, 
as  if  it  might  be  in  a  deep  basin  scooped  out  in  the  earth ; 
is  subject  to  sudden  and  violent  storms  which  come  rushing 
down  from  the  vast  high  plateaus  lying  to  the  east  and 


1  John  vi.  15. 

*  See  Mark  vi.  33-44 ;  John  vi.  1-16.        »  Mark  vi.  45. 


212      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

north-east  of  this,  and  also  from  the  snowy  Hermon,  from 
which  regions  they  are  drawn  down  as  into  a  funnel  by  the 
gorges  and  ravines  worn  by  the  water-courses  converging 
about  its  north-eastern  side.  A  traveller  who  had  en- 
camped one  evening  in  one  of  the  valleys  leading  down  to 
it  on  the  east,  says,  "  The  sun  had  scarcely  set  when  the 
wind  began  to  rush  down  towards  the  lake,  and  it  continued 
all  night  long  with  constantly  increasing  violence,  so  that 
when  we  reached  the  shore  next  morning,  the  face  of  the 
lake  was  like  a  huge  boiling  caldron.  *  *  We  subsequently 
pitched  our  tents  at  the  shore,  and  remained  for  three  days 
and  nights  exposed  to  this  tremendous  wind.  "We  had  to 
double-pin  all  the  tent  ropes,  and  frequently  were  obliged  to 
hang  with  our  whole  weight  upon  them  to  keep  the  quiver- 
ing tabernacle  from  being  carried  up  bodily  into  the  air."1 

A  storm  somewhat  similar,  appears  to  have  caught  this 
boat  with  the  disciples,  when  out  upon  the  lake.  Coming 
from  the  northward  it  would  be  contrary,  and  any  effort  to 
make  headway  against  such  a  fury  of  the  wind  would  be  in 
vain :  nor  would  it  be  safe  to  run  before  the  gale,  for  that 
would  put  their  vessel  in  danger  of  being  immediately 
"swamped."2  Their  only  safety  was  in  keeping  "head  to 
wind,"  by  a  ceaseless  and  most  vigorous  use  of  their  oars, 


1  "  The  Land  and  the  Book." 

8  These  storms  in  their  suddenness  and  violence  and  want  of  premoni- 
tion, appear  to  resemble  the  "Northerners"  which  sometimes  sweep  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  from  the  Mississippi  to  Vera  Cruz.  An  officer  of  high 
rank  in  our  navy,  informs  me  that  he  was  once  lying  at  the  anchorage 
near  the  latter,  at  the  island  of  Sacrificios,  in  company  with  the  British 
frigate  Madagascar,  when  a  northerner  sprang  up  so  suddenly  that  the 
ship  had  not  time  to  secure  all  her  boats.  One  broke  adrift  and  floated 
off,  on  which  the  gunner  called  for  volunteers  to  help  save  it,  "for 
the  honor  of  the  ship."  A  crew  offered,  and  they  and  he  started  for  the 
purpose,  running  of  course  before  the  wind.  Such  was  the  fury  of  the 
gale  that  soon  afterwards,  the  stern  of  their  boat  lifted  on  one  of  the 
short  seas,  was  carried  up,  and  the  boat  turned  over  "end  for  end." 
Every  one  on  board  perished. 


"LET   US  MAKE  PI1M  A   KING:'  213 

amid  those  short,  chopping  seas,  where  any  relaxation  of 
their  struggle  would  cause  their  boat  to  be  filled  and  to 
sink.  The  meal  on  the  hill-side  had  been  late  in  the  even- 
ing. Midnight  came  now  and  passed  over  this  boat  and  its 
inmates  out  on  the  water,  contending  with  the  storm,  and 
drifting  into  the  middle  of  the  lake.  Their  strength  and 
hearts  might  well  be  giving  way  in  this  struggle,  and  in  the 
seeming  abandonment  of  them  by  their  Master ;  and  thus 
also  the  fourth  watch  (three  o'clock)1  arrived,  the  boat  still 
tossed  and  in  danger  of  foundering.  Suddenly  they  saw 
what  seemed  to  be  some  one  walking  on  the  water,  and  ap- 
proaching them.  Fright  seized  them,  and  they  thought  it 
an  apparition ;  for  it  might  well  seem  that  only  a  spirit 
could  walk  on  those  curling  foam-covered  waves ;  but  they 
were  quickly  reassured  by  the  well-known  voice  of  the 
Messiah. 

"  Be  of  good  cheer ;  it  is  I ;  be  not  afraid." 
One  of  them — the  impulsive  Peter — cried  out : 
"  Lord,  if  it  be  thou,  bid  me  come  unto  thee  on  the  water  •" 
and  he  was  bidden.     He  was  on  the  sea  immediately :  and 
just  as  Christ  has  often  been  to  others,  so  he  was  to  Peter, 
treating  him  according  to  his  faith. 

Soon  the  heavy  waves  beginning  to  dash  high  against  the 
disciple,  who  had  been  so  far  walking  safely  on  the  water, 
he  forgot  that  the  power  which  could  make  him  walk  at  all, 
could  sustain  him  in  the  heaviest  seas :  his  faith  gave  way, 
and  losing  it,  he  lost  the  Saviour's  help,  and  began  to  sink. 
We  need  not  censure  this  disciple ;  for  we  ourselves  in  our 
trials,  often  forget  that  God's  arm  is  just  as  strong  for  us  in 
rough  weather  as  in  mild,  and  then  we  also  find  the  water 
beginning  to  close  over  us.  He  cried  for  assistance,  and  the 


1  The  Jews  had  now  adopted  the  Eoman  mode  of  reckoning,  and  the 
fourth  watch  commenced  at  three  o'clock. 


214      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

outstretched  arm  of  Christ  held  him  up,  while  the  Master, 
in  gentle  reproof,  said : 

"O  thou  of  little  faith,  wherefore  didst  thou  doubt?" 
The  storm  ceased  when  they  reached  the  vessel,  and  the  dis- 
ciples falling  in  worship  before  the  Messiah  exclaimed : 

"  Of  a  truth  thou  art  the  Son  of  God." l 

They  landed  at  Gennesaret,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  known 
that  he  was  there,  news  was  spread  through  all  the  country 
adjacent ;  and  quickly  the  diseased  were  carried  in  beds  and 
laid  in  the  street  that  as  he  went  by  they  might  but  touch 
the  hem  of  his  garment.  All  who  touched  were  healed.2 
So,  also,  wherever  he  went  through  the  villages  or  cities  or 
country,  the  sick  too  numerous  to  have  special  cases  attended 
to  were  brought  by  willing  friends  and  placed  in  a  similar 
manner,  and  as  he  passed  by  them  and  they  touched  his  gar- 
ment they  found  their  health  restored.3 

It  must  seem  strange  that  people  should  run  into  the  ex- 
treme one  day  of  wishing  to  force  the  Messiah  to  be  king 
through  admiration  of  him,  and  that  the  next  day,  in  con- 
sequence of  his  teaching,  even  many  of  his  regular  followers 
should  desert  him — the  desertion  so  general  indeed  that  he 
said  to  the  twelve,  "Will  ye  also  go  away?"  Peter  spoke 
up  quickly  in  reply,  "Lord,  to  whom  shall  we  go?  thou 
hast  the  words  of  eternal  life.  And  we  believe  and  are  sure 
that  thou  art  that  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God."  The 
discourse  that  gave  such  umbrage  was  delivered  in  the  syna- 
gogue at  Capernaum,4  and  contains  passages  in  which  pro- 
found spiritual  matters  are  figuratively  introduced — subjects 
at  which  captious  persons  might  take  offence.  Perhaps  the 
audience  were  captious  in  consequence  of  their  disappoint- 
ment the  day  previous,  and  disposed  to  avenge  themselves 
for  their  high-wrought  but  unsuccessful  enthusiasm  on 


1  Matt.  xiv.  22-33;  Mark  vi.  45-51 ;  John  vi.  15-21. 

2  Matt.  xiv.  34-36.  3  Mark  vi.  56.  4  John  vi.  22-71. 


" LET  US  MAKE  HIM  A  KING."  215 

that  occasion.  It  is  a  part  of  our  nature  to  run  into  ex- 
tremes. 

Passing  now  beyond  the  boundary  of  Palestine  on  the 
north  he  healed  there  the  daughter  of  a  Syrophcenician 
woman,  but  soon  afterward  returning  he  went  to  the  region 
south-east  of  the  Lake  of  Tiberias,  and  in  the  brief  narra- 
tive of  the  Gospels  we  again  perceive  him  on  one  of  the 
usually  solitary  mountains  of  this  district;  but  it  was  not 
solitary  now.  Not  far  off  were  most  of  the  cities  of  Deca- 
polis,  and  the  fame  of  the  Messiah  had  been  spread  over  all 
the  country,  and  soon  great  multitudes  had  come  to  him, 
"  having  with  them  those  that  were  lame,  blind,  dumb,  and 
maimed,  and  many  others,  and  cast  them  down  at  Jesus' 
feet ;  and  he  healed  them." 1 

There  comes  up  before  us  a  scene  of  uncommon  beauty 
and  interest  as  we  read  of  those  healings  on  that  mountain. 
There  the  blind  restored  to  sight  saw  him  whom  their 
eyes  immediately  sought  sitting  fitly  vaulted  over  by  the 
dome  of  heaven,  and  in  his  grandeur  of  Presence  suited  to 
be  the  centre  of  those  wide  surroundings  of  nature — the 
great  temple  of  nature  not  made  with  hands,  where  in  the 
exercise  of  Divine  power  through  love  to  men  he  showed 
himself  to  be  the  fitting  Deity.  "What  gladness  there  was 
around  him  as  the  lately  maimed  and  halt  found  that  they 
were  so  no  longer ;  as  the  lately  dumb  broke  forth  in  joyful 
exclamations  carrying  with  them  the  sympathies  of  all; 
as  the  lately  blind  glanced  at  the  varied  sights  of  gran- 
deur and  beauty  on  every  side,  but  ever  turned  their  eyes 
quickly  to  rest  them  in  reverence  and  love  on  him  whose 
face  seemed  to  be  reflecting  heaven  over  our  earth ! 

But  the  multitudes  lingered,  "and  they  glorified  the  God  of 
Israel/'2  until  at  last,  as  in  a  former  case,  there  was  danger 


1  Matt.  xv.  30.  a  Matt.  xv.  31. 


2l6      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

of  suffering  from  hunger.  The  Messiah  calling  his  disciples, 
expressed  his  compassion,  adding : 

"I  will  not  send  them  away  fasting,  lest  they  faint  in  the 
way." 

"  Whence  should  we  have  so  much  bread  in  the  wilder- 
ness, as  to  fill  so  great  a  multitude?"  they  asked,  for  the 
number  was  four  thousand  men,  besides  women  and  children. 

"How  many  loaves  have  ye?"  and  they  answered : 

"  Seven,  and  a  few  little  fishes." 

He  directed  the  people  to  be  seated  as  on  the  former  oc- 
casion, and  having  given  thanks  he  broke  the  bread  and 
gave  the  food  to  his  disciples  for  distribution  to  the  hungry 
multitude.  When  all  were  satisfied  seven  baskets  of  frag- 
ments yet  remained.1 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
THE   TRANSFIGURATION. 

IN  the  extreme  north  of  Palestine,  and  among  the  broken 
ridges  which  surround  the  base  of  the  snow-crowned 
Hermon,  the  waters  of  a  large  fountain,  called  Banias,  burst 
from  a  cave,  and  form  at  once  a  stream  of  considerable  size. 
This  is  one  of  the  three  sources  of  the  Jordan.  At  an  early 
period  the  cave,  the  large  fountain,  and  the  picturesque  coun- 
try around,  overtopped  by  Mount  Hermon,  made  this  spot  a 
much  frequented  resort.  Near  to  Banias  on  an  elevated 
table  land,  which  is  bounded  by  ravines  and  precipitous  de- 
scents, stood  a  city  of  ancient  date,  but  much  enlarged  and 
embellished  by  Philip,  son  of  Herod  the  Great,  Tetrarch 


1  Matt.  xv.  29-48 ;  Mark  viii.  1-9. 


THE    TRANSFIGURATION.  217 

of  Batanea,  Trachonitis  and  Auranitis,1  to  whom  in  the  divi- 
bion  of  Herod's  kingdom  this  district  had  fallen.  He  had 
thought  the  enlarged  city  worthy  of  the  name  of  his  patron, 
Tiberius  Caesar;  and  Philippi,  from  his  own  name,  was 
added  to  distinguish  it  from  the  other  Csesarea  on  the  Me- 
diterranean and  present  political  capital  of  Judea.  So  this 
was  called  Ca3sarea  Philippi. 

The  Messiah,  after  having  dismissed  the  multitudes  con- 
gregated on  the  mountain  in  Decapolis,  returned  to  the  west- 
ern side  of  the  lake  from  which  he  passed  northwardly 
toward  the  region  above  described.  There  lacked  now  only 
about  nine  months  of  the  time  of  his  crucifixion,  and  during 
this  journey  he  appears  to  have  wished  the  twelve  for  their 
own  sakes  and  for  future  purposes  to  make  demonstrations 
before  each  other  of  their  opinions  respecting  himself.  They 
had  been  thrown  everywhere  into  the  society  of  doubting 
and  captious  men,  and  had  heard  the  Pharisees  and  Doctors 
make  objections  and  quote  authorities,  and  had  witnessed 
their  rancorous  hostility  increasing  every  day.  He  wished 
the  twelve  to  make  it  manifest  to  each  other  whether  they 
were  infected  or  not,  and  he  put  the  question  to  them — 

"Whom  do  men  say  that  I  the  Son  of  man  am?"  they 
answered  : 

"  Some  say  that  thou  art  John  the  Baptist ;  some,  Elias, 
and  others,  Jeremias,  or  one  of  the  prophets?" 

"  But  whom  say  ye  that  I  am  ?"  Peter  answered  : 
"  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God." 
"  Blessed   art  thou,   Simon   Barjona,  [Son  of  Jona] :  for 
flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto  thee,  but  my  Fa- 
ther which  is  in  heaven,'7  said  the  Messiah  :  and  he  then 
proceeded  to  give  to  that  disciple  a  prominence  of  position 
in  his  future  church.2     The  frank,  prompt,  generous  nature 
of  Peter  had  much  in  it  that  was  attractive,  notwithstand- 


1  Luke  iii.  1.  2  Matt.  xvi.  13-20. 

19 


2l8      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

ing  the  vacillation  and  timidity  which  he  sometimes  dis- 
played. 

The  physical  and  moral  courage  of  the  twelve,  was  in- 
deed after  a  while  to  pass  through  terrible  ordeals ;  and 
Christ  had  warned  them  at  the  very  outset  of  their  apostle- 
ship,  that  they  should  be  delivered  up  to  the  councils,  and 
be  scourged  in  their  synagogues,  and  be  brought  before 
kings  and  governors  for  his  sake;  adding  also,  what  was  the 
hardest  of  all  to  bear,  "  Ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men  for 
my  name's  sake." 

The  remainder  of  that  discourse  is  startling  on  account 
of  its  positiveness,  and  its  exacting  nature;  and  it  presents 
to  us  Christ — not  tame,  as  people  often  imagine  him  to  have 
been,  but  decided  ;  and  not  only  firm  in  present  purpose,  but 
drawing  a  terrible  impressiveness  from  future  scenes.  He 
had  said,  "  He  that  loveth  father  or  mother  more  than  me, 
is  not  worthy  of  me :  and  he  that  loveth  son  or  daughter 
more  than  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me.  And  he  that  taketh  not 
his  cross,  and  followeth  after  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me." 

On  this  present  occasion  he  said,  "  If  any  man  will  come 
after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross,  and 
follow  me.  For  whosoever  will  save  his  life,  shall  lose  it ; 
and  whosoever  will  lose  his  life  for  my  sake,  shall  find  it. 
For  what  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world, 
and  lose  his  own  soul  ?  or  what  shall  a  man  give  in  ex- 
change for  his  soul  ?  For  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the 
glory  of  his  Father  with  his  angels;  and  then  he  shall  re- 
ward every  man  according  to  his  works.  Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  there  be  some  standing  here,  which  shall  not  taste  of 
death,  till  they  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  his 
kingdom." 

Was  he  exacting?  Principle  is  always  exacting.  Patriot- 
ism is  exacting.  Love  to  one's  country  exacts  the  offer  of  life, 
requires  the  mother  and  father  to  give  their  son,  the  daughter 
to  give  her  brother  and  the  wife  her  husband,  to  the  battle- 


THE    TRANSFIGURATION.  219 

field  and  to  death,  if  this  be  necessary.  Why  should  re- 
ligion be  less  decided  in  its  demands  than  principle  or  coun- 
try ?  The  Messiah  had  just  been  telling  his  disciples  "  how 
that  he  must  go  unto  Jerusalem,  and  suffer  many  things  of 
the  elders  and  chief  priests  and  scribes,  and  be  killed,  and 
be  raised  again  the  third  day ;"  and  he  was  not  only  him- 
self filled,  but  he  was  trying  to  fill  them  also,  with  the 
greatness  of  the  work  he  came  to  perform,  and  which  it  was 
to  be  their  duty  to  advance.  Religion,  such  as  this,  is  full 
of  the  grandest  of  all  thoughts  and  all  emotions,  has  them 
for  its  groundwork,  and  they  make  an  essential  part  of 
itself. 

The  grandeur  and  glory  of  heavetl  is,  in  such  thoughts 
and  feelings  given  to  the  earth :  and  while  listening  to  such 
words  from  Christ,  we  are  readily  prepared  for  what  came, 
soon  afterwards — the  scene  of  the  transfiguration. 

Six  days  subsequently  to  the  discourse  related  above,  he 
took  Peter,  and  James,  and  John,  and  conducted  them  "  into 
a  high  mountain  apart."  The  scene  which  followed  there 
is  one  which  painters  have  very  often  tried  to  depict,  but 
always  without  success ;  for  how  can  any  one  represent  the 
glory  of  heaven  impressing  itself  on  aught  of  earth :  least 
of  all  can  they  do  it,  as  here  shining  out  through  Christ. 
We  are  told  that  when  Moses  came  down  from  receiving  the 
law  on  Sinai,  his  face  shone  so  that  Aaron,  and  all  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  shrunk  away  in  amazement,  and  "  they  were 
afraid  to  come  nigh  him."  He  was  himself  not  aware  of 
the  wonderful  glory  in  his  face,  till  he  saw  their  fright  as  if 
something  supernatural  were  before  them ;  and  afterwards, 
"  he  put  a  veil  on  his  face,"1  and  repeated  this,  after  every 
subsequent  descent  from  the  presence  of  God.  When 
Stephen  was  before  the  council  at  Jerusalem ;  all  that  sat 
there  "  looking  steadfastly  on  him,  saw  his  face  as  it  had 


1  Exodus  xxxiv.  29-35. 


220      LIFE-SCENES  FROM   THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

been  the  face  of  an  angel  i"1  and  both  this  event  and  that 
at  Sinai,  may  aid  us  in  our  endeavor  to  comprehend  the 

1  Acts  vi.  15.  The  reader  has  perhaps  heard  of  death-bed  scenes, 
where  the  face  of  the  departing  one  has  been  suddenly  lighted  up,  and 
has  taken  expressions,  as  if  the  spirit  about  to  be  released  was  reflecting 
the  heavenly  glory  already  so  near  at  hand. 

The  author  of  this  book  lately  witnessed  a  very  wonderful  scene  of  this 
description,  which  he  will  here  briefly  sketch. 

There  was  a  husband  feeble  as  an  infant,  in  a  sudden  illness,  and 
thought  to  be  near  to  death :  in  another  chamber  in  the  same  house, 
was  his  wife  also  ill,  and  about  to  die.  She  had,  just  before  this,  when 
at  a  distance,  been  informed  of  his  condition,  and  had  hastened  on  to 
nurse  him ;  but  in  consequence  of  the  fatigue  of  the  journey  operating 
on  an  already  feeble  frame,  was  herself  immediately  stricken  down  with 
a  rapid  disease.  She  was  a  person  who,  through  life,  had  always  seemed 
to  belong  rather  to  heaven  than  to  earth ;  so  pure,  so  true,  so  lovely  she 
was,  so  great  in  all  excellence.  It  was  the  Sabbath,  at  night,  a  few  days 
after  her  illness  had  commenced.  She  recognized  in  herself  the  ap- 
proach of  death,  and  asked  to  be  carried  to  her  husband's  room.  The 
request  was  met  with  remonstrance,  but  she  persisted : — "  You  would  not 
prevent  a  dying  wife  from  going  to  take  a  last  farewell  of  her  husband?" 
She  was  put  into  a  large  easy  chair,  and  thus  carried  and  placed  by  his 
bedside.  Many  messages  had  passed  between  them  during  the  day  ;  but 
they  now  met ;  and  it  was  in  this  brief  meeting  that  the  wonderful  scene 
referred  to  occurred.  Her  face  and  all  its  expressions  became  angelic — just 
like  a  reflection  of  heaven  itself; — there  was  a  transfiguration, — an  efful- 
gence over  all  the  features  amazing  to  behold.  Six  other  individuals 
were  present,  all  of  mature  years,  and  this  remarkable  change  was  no- 
ticed by  every  one  of  them.  Both  of  the  sick  persons  were  incapable  of 
saying  much,  but  she  uttered  a  few  words  of  blessing  and  of  farewell. 
She  sat  there,  a  heavenly  brightness  and  joy  on  her  face,  looking  like  a 
seraph  ready  to  take  the  upward  flight.  This  lasted  about  twelve  min- 
utes, at  the  end  of  which  time  her  weakness  compelled  them  to  remove 
her  to  her  own  apartment.  When  placed  again  on  her  bed,  she  made  an 
audible  prayer,  the  breathings  of  which  seemed  not  to  belong  to  earth. 
Then  the  forecloudings  of  the  approaching  last  scene  overshadowed  the 
mind  ;  and  so  continued  for  about  twenty-four  hours,  when  death  came  ; 
and,  without  a  struggle,  her  spirit  passed  as  if  angels  had  gently  carried 
it  away. 

The  death-bed  of  Senator  Foote  (U.  S.  Senator  from  Vermont),  also 
presents  an  example  of  the  manner  in  which  the  thin  veil  between  the. 
heavenly  world  and  ourselves  is  sometimes  penetrated  by  mortal  vision. 


THE    TRANSFIGURATION.  221 

scene  cf  the  transfiguration  now  witnessed  in  the  region  of 
Csesarea  Philippi.  But  they  can  lead  us  only  to  a  partial 
appreciation  of  it:  for  what  mortal  can  fully  understand 
the  event  or  the  glory  of  an  occasion  when  Heaven  came 
down  and  enveloped  the  mountain  top,  and  the  Divinity  in 
Christ  glowed  forth  through  his  mortal  frame,  while  Moses 
and  Elias  stood  there  beside  him ;  the  veil  between  the  two 
worlds  withdrawn  from  before  the  apostles'  vision,  so  that 
the  supernatural  became  revealed.  There  ""His  face  did 
shine  as  the  sun,  and  his  raiment  was  white  as  the  light. 
.And  behold,  there  appeared  unto  them  Moses  and  Elias 
talking  with  him."  The  apostles  were  filled  with  mingled 
awe,  and  fear,  and  delight;  and  the  impulsive  Peter,  in  his 
tumult  of  thought,  cried  out  with  a  request,  as  if  he  could 
hope  to  make  it  all  permanent.  But  such  scenes  belong  per- 
manently only  to  a  world  not  stained  with  sin.  A  bright 
cloud  overshadowed  them ;  and  from  it  proceeded  a  voice, 
"This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased:  hear 
ye  him."  The  disciples  fell  prostrate,  their  faces  to  the  earth, 
before  Jehovah  himself  who  was  felt  tobepresent  in  this  amaz- 
ingscene ;  fear  now  filling  their  hearts.  From  this  overwhelm- 
ing agitation,  they  were  restored  by  the  touch  and  voice  of 
him  who  stands  now  between  the  terrors  of  the  Unknown 


The  scene  is  thus  described  by  a  member  of  Congress,  who  was  with  him 
on  the  occasion. 

"  At  seven  o'clock,  the  dying  senator  expressed  a  desire  to  see  once 
more  the  light  of  the  sun  in  the  heavens,  and  the  capitol  on  which  it 
shone  and  where  he  had  so  long  served  the  people  of  his  state  and  coun- 
try, and  where  his  associates  were  soon  to  assemble.  They  lifted  him  up. 
His  eyes  were  already  dim ;  and  he  sank  back  on  his  pillow.  The  words 
of  the  23d  Psalm  were  read  and  a  solemn  prayer  delivered  by  one  who  was 
dearest  to  him  of  earth.  He  called  her  to  his  side,  and  folded  her  in  his 
arms,  asking,  "Can  this  be  death?  Has  it  come  already?  Then  look- 
ing with  eyes  of  celestial  radiance,  and  lifting  up  his  hands,  he  said  :  *  I 
see  it !  I  see  it !  I  see  the  gates  wide  open  !  Beautiful !  Beautiful !'  And 
then,  without  a  pang,  he  immediately  expired.' " 
19  * 


222     LIFE-SCENES  Fl.OM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

and  us,  and  who  says  still  to  us  when  prostrate,  as  he  did  to 
them,  "  Arise,  and  be  not  afraid."  When  they  arose,  and 
"had  lifted  up  their  eyes,  they  saw  no  man,  save  Jesus 
only."  He  charged  them  not  to  make  these  circumstances 
known  until  after  his  rising  from  the  dead.1 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
DISPUTES  AMONG    THE  APOSTLES. 

ON  their  return  to  the  place  where  the  other  apostles  had 
been  left  these  were  found  undergoing  an  examination 
by  the  Scribes,  a  great  multitude  of  people  also  being  around, 
who  as  soon  as  Christ  was  seen,  hurried  to  him  with  glad 
salutations.  Immediately  a  father  was  on  his  knees  before 
him  crying  for  compassion  on  his  only  child,  a  lunatic,  whom 
he  had  brought  to  the  disciples  and  presented  in  vain  to  be 
healed.  But  now  there  was  hope,  for  the  Messiah  himself 
was  there,  and  his  power  was  equal  to  the  cure.  With  a  re- 
proof to  his  hearers  for  their  want  of  faith  he  directed  the 
child  to  be  brought  before  him,  and  he  turned  to  the  beseech- 
ing parent : 

"  If  thou  canst  believe,  all  things  are  possible  to  him  that 
believeth." 

"Lord,  I  believe;  helj?  thou  my  unbelief,"  cried  the 
father,  with  tears. 

The  helpless  boy  fell  to  the  earth  in  a  fit,  but  the  Messiah 
took  him  by  the  hand  and  lifted  him  up,  and  the  happy 
father  had  him  quickly  in  his  arms  entirely  restored.2 


Matt.  xvii.  1-9.  2  Mark  ix.  2-9, 


DISPUTES  AMONG    THE  APOSTLES.  223 

They  left  that  region  for  Galilee,  and  as  they  travelled 
onward  the  Messiah's  inind  was  looking  forward  to  the  pain- 
ful end  of  the  journey  at  Jerusalem,  for  he  who  could  work 
miracles  for  the  relief  of  all  others  must  in  that  approach- 
ing frightful  endurance  on  the  cross  work  none  for  himself; 
and  the  human  nature  in  him  so  mysteriously  united  to  the 
Divine,  had  the  full  force  of  the  anticipations  of  what  was 
now  soon  to  occur.  Nevertheless  he  went  steadfastly  on. 
He  tried  again  to  prepare  his  disciples  for  what  was  coming, 
and  repeated  to  them  that  he  should  be  betrayed  to  his  ene- 
mies and  be  put  to  death  and  should  rise  again,  but  they  did 
not  understand  him,1  and  the  only  effect  was  a  deep  sorrow, 
in  which  they  felt  too  much  awed  to  seek  relief  in  question- 
ing him  on  the  subject,  though  it  filled  their  hearts. 

But  even  in  this  time  of  sadness  a  most  unseemly  ques- 
tion was  started  among  them — who  should  be  greatest  in  the 
approaching  kingdom  of  their  Master?  and  here  we  are 
again  reminded  how  little  in  common  there  was  between 
him  and  them,  his  chosen  followers,  and  how  solitary  he 
was  in  the  world.  Man  was  formed  for  companionship,  and 
the  kind  and  loving  nature  of  Christ  was  peculiarly  fitted 
for  its  enjoyments,  but  there  could  be  little  companionship 
for  him  anywhere  among  the  Jews  even  among  his  followers 
themselves.  In  this  respect  he  could  emphatically  say, 
"  The  foxes  have  holes,  the  birds  of  the  air  have  nests,  but 
the  Son  of  man  hath  not  where  to  lay  his  head." 

On  their  arriving  at  Capernaum  he  called  the  apostles, 
and  to  his  inquiry  about  their  disputes  they  made  no  reply, 
but  stood  silent  and  abashed.  He  then  took  a  little  child, 
and  setting  him  in  the  midst  of  them,  he  said : 

"  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Except  ye  be  converted,  and  be- 
come as  little  children,  ye  shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven.  Whosoever,  therefore,  shall  humble  himself  as 


Mark  ix.  30-32. 


224      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

this  little  child,  is  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  *  *  * 
He  that  is  least  among  you  all,  the  same  shall  be  greatest." 

The  Messiah  was  now  about  to  take  his  final  leave  of  Gali- 
lee, but  previous  to  his  departure  he  sent  out  from  Caper- 
naum seventy  disciples  to  go  before  him  "into  every  city 
and  place  whither  he  himself  should  come."  As  he  returned 
no  more  to  this  region  their  mission  was  chiefly,  it  would 
seem,  into  the  country  east  of  the  Jordan  (Perea),  where 
and  in  Jerusalem  his  time  after  this  period  was  chiefly  spent. 
The  seventy  had  nearly  the  same  directions  and  the  same 
authority  as  the  twelve  on  the  former  occasion  when  sent 
through  Galilee. 

He  was  himself  now  going  up  to  Jerusalem  for  the  Feast 
of  Tabernacles,  and  was  about  to  pass  permanently  from 
the  simplicity  and  frankness  and  generous  nature  of  the  peo- 
ple in  these  rural  districts  to  the  capital  and  to  a  region  of 
country  over  which  its  influence  held  sway,  and  was  to  en- 
counter at  almost  every  step  the  superciliousness  and  pride 
and  captiotisness  of  the  Pharisees  and  Doctors  and  Scribes. 

The  Messiah  chose  for  this  journey  to  Jerusalem  the  way 
through  Samaria;  and  in  that  country  immediately  occurred 
one  of  those  incidents  which  showed  the  bitter  hostility  be- 
tween its  inhabitants  and  the  Jews.  He  had  sent  messen- 
gers before  him  to  one  of  their  villages  to  make  ready  for 
his  coming ;  but  the  citizens  of  that  place  when  they  found 
that  he  was  going  to  Jerusalem  would  not  receive  even  him, 
all  regard  and  curiosity  giving  way  before  their  jealousy  of 
the  rival  city  and  people.  John,  the  most  gentle  of  the  dis- 
ciples, was  enraged  at  this  treatment,  and  he  and  James  united 
in  a  request  that  the  Messiah  would  allow  them  to  call  down 
fire  from  heaven  to  consume  the  place.  The  reply  was, 
"  Ye  know  not  what  manner  of  spirit  ye  are  of.  For  the 
Son  of  man  is  not  come  to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  to  save 
them." 

How  soon  were  these  disciples  to  witness   far   greater 


DISPUTES  AMONG    THE  APOSTLES.  22$ 

indignities  offered  to  him  in  that  city  which  boasted  that 
God  had  especially  chosen  it  for  himself! 

They  proceeded  on  their  journey,  and  were  entering 
another  Samaritan  town,  when  was  heard  that  loud,  plaintive 
appeal  for  help,  now  become  familiar  to  the  ears  of  his 
followers.  The  cry  came  from  ten  men,  who  stood  far  off ; 
since  they  did  not  dare  to  approach  him,  the  laws  of  that 
country  prohibiting  it;  for  they  were  lepers.  But  from 
that  distance  the  cry  rang  distinctly  in  the  ear,  it  was  such 
an  earnest,  beseeching  one : 

"  Jesus,  Master,  have  mercy  on  us !" 

That  disease,  so  loathsome  and  horrible  in  itself,  had  the 
further  horror  of  cutting  off  those  afflicted  with  it  from  all 
relatives  and  from  home;  and  it  could  never  have  the 
alleviations  which  in  other  cases  sometimes  almost  make 
sickness  feel  like  a  luxury,  so  tenderly  is  it  ministered  to  by 
friends.  The  leprous  man  could  have  companionship  only 
with  other  horrible  objects  like  himself;  and  so  these  ten 
men  stood  together  that  day,  isolated  from  all  others,  and 
raising  their  piteous  cry.  The  Jewish  laws,  (Levit.  xiii. 
43-46),  said,  "  If  the  rising  of  the  sore  be  white  reddish,  in 
his  bald  head  or  in  his  bald  forehead,  as  the  leprosy 
approacheth  in  the  skin  of  the  flesh ;  he  is  a  leprous  man, 
he  is  unclean :  the  priest  shall  pronounce  him  utterly 
unclean :  his  plague  is  in  his  head.  And  the  leper  in  whom 
the  plague  is,  his  clothes  shall  be  rent  and  his  head  bare, 
and  he  shall  put  a  covering  upon  his  upper  lip,  and  shall 
cry,  '  Unclean,  unclean/  All  the  days  wherein  the  plague 
shall  be  in  him,  he  shall  be  defiled;  he  is  unclean;  and  he 
shall  dwell  alone,  without  the  court  shall  his  habitation  be." 

A  recent  traveller  in  Palestine,  says,  u  In  my  walks  about 
Zion  to-day,  I  was  taken  to  see  the  village  or  quarter 
assigned  to  the  lepers  lying  along  the  wall  directly  east  of 
Zion  Gate.  I  was  unprepared  for  the  visit,  and  was  made 
positively  sick  by  the  loathsome  spectacle."  Meeting  them 


226      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

also  outside  the  city,  he  says,  "they  held  up  towards  me 
their  handless  arms,  unearthly  sounds  gurgled  through  their 
throats  without  palates — in  a  word,  I  was  horrified."1 

So,  as  Christ  was  entering  this  Samaritan  village,  how 
intensified  was  the  cry  of  those  ten  men,  as  if  all  existence 
were  centred  in  that  moment  of  hope.  It  came  from  them 
broken,  gurgling,  distant,  but  was  heard. 

"  Jesus,  Master,  have  mercy  on  us." 

The  company  around  all  turned  with  earnestness  toward 
him.  His  disciples  were  Jews,  and  had  the  jealousy  of 
Jews  toward  the  people  of  this  country.  Would  he  per- 
form his  miraculous  healing  here,  especially  as  they  had  just 
been  rejected  from  one  of  the  towns  because  they  were  of 
the  race  hated  by  this  people  and  were  going  to  Jerusalem  ? 
The  disciples,  not  yet  recovered  from  their  indignation,  felt 
that  here  would  be  a  good  opportunity,  by  refusing  these 
people  help,  to  impress  upon  them  a  lesson  of  hospitality  to 
strangers  travelling  through  their  country.  The  villagers 
also  were  gathering,  and  watching  to  see  how  it  would  end ; 
and  there  was  agitation  and  excitement  on  every  side;  while, 
in  the  confusion  incident  to  such  curiosity,  the  sad  cry  from 
the  lepers  standing  afar  off  was  distinctly  heard. 

What  was  the  result?  It  was  to  be  according  to  the  faith 
of  the  applicants :  and  of  this  faith  there  was  to  be  first, 
an  open  demonstration. 

"  Go  show  yourselves  unto  the  priests,"  he  said  to  them. 

They  went;  and  in  going  felt  themselves  healed.  The 
terrible  disease  had  disappeared  from  their  system;  their 
eyes  saw  the  newly  restored  flesh,  each  on  the  other  and  on 
himself;  they  felt  the  new  health  coursing  through  their 
veins.  We  might  imagine  them  now,  all  aglow  with  grati- 
tude, hurrying  back  to  thank  their  Divine  Restorer;  but 
history  gives  a  different  account.  Only  one  returned  for 


"The  Land  and  the  Book." 


FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES.  227 

this  purpose :  he  was  a  Samaritan.  He  came,  glorifying 
God,  and  fell  down  on  his  face  at  the  Messiah's  feet  with 
expressions  of  thanks.  The  Saviour  said,  "Were  there 
not  ten  ?  But  where  are  the  nine  ?  There  are  not  found 
that  returned  to  give  glory  to  God,  save  this  stranger. 
Arise,  go  thy  way :  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole."1 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

JERUSALEM— FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES. 

DURING  the  last  of  those  scenes  recorded  in  the  preced- 
ing chapter,  the  Jews  from  all  Palestine,  and  regions 
adjoining,  and  even  from  remote  parts  of  the  world,  had 
been  flocking  towards  Jerusalem.  The  Feast  of  the  Taber- 
nacles, to  which  they  were  hastening,  was  their  most  cheer- 
ful festival,  the  :in,  festivity  or  mirth,  called  so  by  way  of 
pre-eminence :  a  time  of  great  rejoicing ;  all  conducted  in 
a  manner  and  at  a  season  to  give  a  peculiar  zest  to  their  joy. 
The  Passover  was  a  season  of  more  impressive  solemnity : 
this  feast  of  Tabernacles  was  a  time  more  given  up  to  mirth. 
Plutarch  calls  it  a  bacchanalian  season;  but  there  was 
certainly  neither  drunkenness  nor  rioting  in  it,  though  it 
must  be  confessed  that  there  were  scenes  in  this  festival  that, 
to  a  person  imperfectly  informed,  might  easily  appear  like 
the  drunken  orgies  of  Bacchus  in  heathen  countries. 

The  Rabbins  were  accustomed  to  say  of  this  feast,  "The 
man  who  has  not  seen  these  festivals,  does  not  know  what 
a  jubilee  is ;"  and  t-he  Talmud,  "  Whoever  hath  not  seen  the 


i  Lukexvii.  11-19. 


228      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

rejoicing  that  was   upon  the  drawing  of  this  water,  hath 
never  seen  any  rejoicing  at  all/'1 

It  was  a  double  festival ;  1st,  to  commemorate  the  living 
in  tents  during  the  journeying  of  their  forefathers  from 
Egypt  f  and  2d,  it  was  a  thanksgiving  for  the  fruits  of  the 
year,3  answering  thus  to  our  own  Thanksgiving  Day.  The 
time  corresponded  to  our  October :  the  fruits  and  harvests 
had  then  been  gathered  in :  a  time  of  rest  for  the  husband- 
man had  come :  the  garners  were  full :  hearts  were  ready  for 
rejoicing:  and  so,  at  this  season,  Jews  from  all  directions 
moved  towards  their  great  city  and  their  far  greater  temple, 
to  have  a  week  of  festivity  and  worship,  mingling  religious 
devotion  with  the  outpourings  of  the  general  joy.  The 
people  all  lived,  during  that  week,  in  booths  made  of 
branches  of  trees,  erected  on  the  flat  house-tops  of  Jerusalem, 
or  in  the  country  adjacent ;  great  taste  was  exhibited  in  the 
construction  of  these  booths:  rains  never  troubled  the 
country  at  this  period:  the  habits  of  the  people  were  simple, 
and  there  was  no  inconvenience  to  them  in  such  an  out-door 
life :  it  was  a  gathering,  not  of  distinct  families,  but  of  the 
one  great  family  of  the  nation  ;  and  everybody  came  pre- 
pared to  be  happy,  and  to  give  outward  demonstrations  of 

j°y- 

We  may  imagine,  from  our  own  yearly  Thanksgiving-Day 
and  the  family  gatherings  on  that  occasion,  what  were  the 
feelings  of  the  Jews  when  the  whole  people  old  and  young 
came  up  to  their  great  national  Thanksgiving,  of  divine  in- 
stitution, in  which  it  Mras  a  duty  to  be  joyful  before  God  for 
the  blessings  of  the  year.  For  seven  days,  no  one,  was  allowed 
to  eat  or  drink  or  sleep  outside  of  the  booths,  which  on  the 
morning  of  the  eighth  day  were  all  removed,  although  still 
the  eighth  day  was  the  chief  one  of  the  festival,  for  it  was 
the  last,  and  they  believed  that  upon  the  manner  in  which  it 


1  Liffhtfoot.  2  Leviticus  xxiii.  42-43.  3  Ex.  xxiii.  16. 


FEAST   OF   TABERNACLES.  229 

was  observed  depended  the  rains  and  crops  for  the  ensuing 
year.  During  the  seven  days  supplications  and  sacrifices 
were  offered  for  the  whole  world,  but  the  solemnities  of  the 
eighth  day  were  wholly  on  their  own  behalf. 

There  was  a  place  a  little  below  Jerusalem,  probably  in 
the  valley  of  the  Kedron,  where  willows  were  cultivated 
for  use  in  this  festival ;  for  each  individual  was  obliged  to 
provide  himself  with  what  they  called  the  lulabb,  a  bundle 
of  two  twigs  of  willows,  three  of  myrtle,  and  a  leaf  of  palm, 
tied  together  with  a  gold  or  silver  or  silken  band,  also  a  wil- 
low branch  to  lay  before  the  altar.  When  they  went  up  to 
the  daily  ceremonies  in  the  temple  they  carried  the  lulabb  in 
their  right  hand,  and  a  pomecitron  branch  with  fruit  on  it 
in  the  left.  The  children  from  early  age  were  taught  to 
sway  the  lulabb,  and  to  join  in  the  singing,  and  in  their  in- 
nocence and  half  serious  gaiety  they  formed  an  interesting 
part  of  the  great  scenes  of  this  festival  on  the  temple  heights. 
The  Talmud  said :  "  A  little  child  as  soon  as  he  knows  how 
to  wave  a  bundle  is  bound  to  carry  a  bundle."  Prepared 
with  these  the  people  came  to  the  usual  morning  sacrifice 
which  was  at  the  earliest  dawn,  and  this  morning  sacrifice 
itself  had  also  a  distinguishing  feature  belonging  only  to 
this  feast.  Wine  was  always  a  part  of  the  daily  offering ; 
but  now  a  priest  went  to  the  pool  of  Siloam  at  the  outlet  of 
the  Tyropeon  valley,  and  with  pomp  and  ceremony  brought 
water  from  it  in  a  golden  vessel,  the  trumpets  sounding  as 
he  reached  the  great  court  of  the  temple.  He  proceeded 
up  the  inclined  plane  of  the  altar  to  where  two  basins  were 
standing,  one  with  wine  ;  into  the  other  he  poured  the  water, 
and  both  fluids  being  then  ceremoniously  mixed  they  were 
poured  over  the  morning  sacrifice,  the  trumpets  and  cymbals 
sounding  while  was  sung,  "  With  joy  shall  ye  draw  water  out 
of  the  wells  of  salvation,"  (Isaiah  xii.  3).  This  part  of  ihe 
solemnities  did  not  profess  to  be  of  divine  institution,  but 
had  been  established  of  old,  they  said,  in  memory  of  the 

20 


230      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

water  so  bountifully  bestowed  on  their  ancestors  in  the  de- 
sert, and  as  the  Rabbis  testify  was  meant  to  be  a  symbol  of 
the  benefits  to  be  some  time  poured  out  and  dispensed  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.1 


The  Pool  of  Siloam  as  it  is  now  ;  viewed  from  the  south-east. 2 

When  the  libation  was  finished,  and  the  smoke  of  the 
sacrifice  began  to  ascend,  the  music  recommenced,  and  their 
great  hymn,  the  Hallel,  rose  on  the  morning  air  from  the 
voices  of  that  immense  throng  in  these  greatly  elevated 
courts  of  the  temple.  The  great  Hallel  consisted  of  the  cxiii. 
cxiv.  cxv.  cxvi.  cxvii.  and  cxviii.  Psalms,  and  when  they 
came  to  the  beginning  of  Psalm  cxviii.,  "  O  give  thanks,'7  &c., 
the  whole  company  waved  their  branches  toward  the  four 


1  Bloomfield. 

*  It  occupies  undoubtedly  the  site  of  the  ancient  pool  of  this  name, 
but  is  probably  smaller.  Its  dimensions  are  fifty  feet  in  length  by  from 
fourteen  and  a-half  to  seventeen  in  breadth,  with  a  depth  of  eighteen  and 
a-lialf  feet.  The  water  has  now  only  a  depth  of  three  or  four  feet,  being 
let  off  at  that  height  by  channels  which  conduct  it  to  the  garden  below. 
It  is  supplied  from  sources  beneath  the  site  of  the  ancient  temple, 
where  seems  to  be  a  syphon  which  makes  its  flow  periodical ;  thence  it 
is  conducted  to  the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin  noticed  in  chapter  xx.  of  this 
book,  and  thence  under  Ophel  to  this  place.  Its  outlet  is  properly  at  the 
arched  way  in  this  picture,  but  owing  to  some  defect  in  the  masonry  it 
escapes  otherwise  into  the  pool  below. 


FEAST   OF  TABERNACLES.  231 

quarters  of  the  world,  as  they  did  also  when  they  came  to 
the  "  Hosanna,"  (or  "  Save  now,  I  beseech  thee,  O  Lord"), 
and  again  at  the  latter  clause  of  the  same  verse,  "  O  Lord, 
I  beseech  thee  send  now  prosperity."  The  same  shaking  of 
the  branch  was  repeated  when  they  came  to  the  last  verse 
of  that  Psalm,  "  O  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord,  for  he  is 
good ;  for  his  mercy  endureth  forever,"  and  which  was  the 
finishing  of  the  Hallel. 

When  this  iaily  sacrifice  was  completed  then  commenced 
the  additional  sacrifices  peculiar  to  this  occasion ;  i.  e.,  on 
each  day  fourteen  lambs  and  a  goat;  on  the  first  day  also 
thirteen  bullocks;  on  the  second,  twelve;  on  the  third, 
eleven,  and  so  diminishing  till  on  the  seventh  day  seven 
bullocks  were  offered.  At  this  sacrifice  hymns  peculiar  to 
it  were  also  sung ;  on  the  first  day  the  cv.  Psalm ;  on  the 
second,  the  xxix. ;  third  day,  the  1.,  beginning  at  v.  16 ; 
fourth  day,  xciv.,  at  v.  16 ;  fifth  day,  xciv.,  at  v.  8 ;  sixth 
day,  Ps.  Ixxxi.,  at  v.  6 ;  the  seventh  day,  Ps.  Ixxxii.,  at  v. 
5 ;  and  we  may  very  easily  imagine  the  effect  of  the  sound 
of  so  many  thousands  of  voices  on  those  temple  heights,  while 
the  smoke  of  the  sacrifices  was  curling  upward  toward  the 
open  sky.  Sometimes  the  voices  ceased,  and  the  trumpets 
arid  cymbals  were  substituted,  and  "then  again  the  Hosannas 
burst  forth  like  the  voice  of  a  great  ocean  during  a  storm.1 
Every  individual  was  required  to  go  round  the  altar  with 
his  lulabb  each  day ;  on  the  seventh  day  seven  times. 

Thus  it  was  during  the  day,  but  in  the  evening  a  very 
strange  scene  commenced,  and  for  this  we  will  quote  from 
Lightfoot,  whose  quaint  language  is  so  well  suited  to  such 
descriptions. 

"  At  the  time  when  the  water  was  brought  from  the  pool  of 
Siloam  and  poured  on  the  altar  they  had  not  the  liberty  for 
their  jollity,  because  of  the  seriousness  and  solemnity  of  the 


Ligbtfoot :  Temple  Service. 


232      LIFE-SCENES  FROM   THE   FOUR    GOSPELS. 

service  then  in  hand ;  but  when  all  the  services  of  the  day 
were  over  and  night  had  now  come,  they  fall  to  their  rejoic- 
ing for  that  matter,  which  rejoicing  is  equally  strange  both 
for  the  manner  and  the  cause.  The  manner  was  thus : 

"  They  went  in  the  court  of  the  women,  and  there  the 
women  placed  themselves  upon  balconies  round  about  the 
court,  and  the  men  stood  on  the  ground.  There  were  four 
candlesticks  or  beacons  of  exceeding  bigness  and  mounted 
on  exceeding  great  heights  overtopping  the  walls  of  the 
court  of  the  '  Mountain  of  the  House*  at  a  great  elevation. 
The  pipe  of  the  temple  began  to  play,  and  many  Levites 
with  their  instruments  in  great  abundance,  standing  on  the 
fifteen  steps  that  went  down  out  of  the  court  of  Israel  into 
the  court  of  women,  and  whosoever  of  them  and  of  the 
priests  were  musical,  either  with  instrument  or  voice,  joined 
his  music.  In  the  meanwhile  the  greatest  grandees  of  the 
people,  as  the  members  of  the  Sanhedrim,  the  rulers  of  the 
synagogues,  doctors  of  schools,  and  those  that  were  of  the 
highest  rank  and  repute  for  place  and  religion,  fell  a  danc- 
ing, leaping,  singing  and  capering,  with  torches  in  their 
hands,  with  all  their  skill  and  might,  whilst  the  women  and 
common  people  looked  on ;  thus  they  spent  the  most  part 
of  the  night.  And  the  "more  they  abased  themselves  (like 
David  before  the  ark)  in  this  activity,  the  more  they  thought 
they  did  commendably,  and  deserved  praise. 

"  At  last,  far  in  the  night,  two  priests  standing  at  the  gate 
Nicanor,  do  sound  their  trumpets ;  and  then  come  down  to 
the  tenth  step  and  sound  there  again ;  they  come  down  into 
the  court  of  the  women  and  there  sound  for  the  third  time; 
and  so  go  sounding  all  along  the  court,  till  they  come  to  the 
east  of  it;  and  there  they  turn  themselves  and  look  back  up 
toward  the  temple  and  say  thus,  'Our  fathers  who  were  in 
this  place  turned  their  backs  upon  the  temple  of  the  Lord, 
and  their  faces  towards  the  east,  towards  the  sun,  but  as  for 
us  we  are  towards  him  and  our  eyes  towards  him/ 


FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES.  233 

"  h  s  the  grandees  danced,  some  of  them  would  say  thus, 
'  Blessed  be  thou,  O  my  youth,  which  hast  not  shamed  my 
old  age ;'  and  these  were  called  '  Men  of  performance ;'  and 
others  would  say,  '  Blessed  be  thou,  O  my  old  age,'  which 
hast  gained  my  youth ;  these  were  e  Men  of  repentance ;'  and 
both  of  them  would  say,  i  Blessed  is  he  that  hath  not  sinned, 
and  he  that  hath  sinned,  and  his  sin  is  pardoned.7 

"At  length,  weariness  and  sleepiness  and  satiety  with 
their  mirth,  concludes  the  jollity,  till  another  night.  *  *  * 
This  was  the  celebration  of  the  feast  of  Tabernacles  day 
after  day,  only  there  was  this  difference  among  the  days : 
that  on  the  night  before  the  Sabbath  that  fell  within  the 
feast,  and  on  the  night  before  the  eighth  day,  which  was  a 
holy -day,  they  used  not  their  dancing,  singing  and  rejoicing. 
On  the  eighth  day  they  had  the  same  solemnities  with  the 
days  before,  ate  the  pome-citrons,  which  they  might  not  do 
before,  and  at  night  had  the  great  rejoicing  in  the  court  of 
the  women,  and  thus  they  concluded  the  feast :  and  there- 
fore, this  by  the  Evangelist  is  called  not  only  the  last  day, 
but  also  the  great  day  of  the  feast,  because  it  was  a  holy- 
day,  and  because  it  was  the  conclusion.7'1 

A  very  strange  scene  surely ;  and  if  we  now  suppose  our- 
selves on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  which  looked  directly  down 
upon  the  temple  area  and  the  whole  city ;  upon  the  lighted- 
up  booths  on  the  tops  of  the  houses  and  over  the  whole 
country  around;  upon  the  immense  columns  at  each  angle 
of  the  women's  court,  with  the  blazing  fires  on  their  sum- 
mit ;  and  on  the  torches  of  the  dancers  waving  to  and  fro, 
and  circling  about  in  intricate  lines  ;  and  then  listen  to  the 
murmur  from  more  than  two  millions  of  wakeful  people  at 
the  festival,  mingled  with  the  sounds  of  musicians  and  sing- 
ers on  the  temple  steps,  we  shall  have  a  tolerably  fair  idea 
of  what  this  great  festival  of  Tabernacles  must  have  been. 


"Temple  Service." 
20* 


234     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

The  distinguished  Jewish  authority,  Maimonides,  says  of 
this  dancing :  "  Because  it  was  the  rejoicing  for  keeping  the 
law,  to  which  no  joy  can  be  comparable ;"  and  therefore,  he 
adds,  "  the  common  people  and  every  one  that  would  were 
not  actors  in  this  rejoicing;  for  they  neither  sang  nor 
danced,"  but  were  only  spectators :  but  the  actors  were  the 
great  men  of  wisdom  and  religion.1 

A  remarkable  passage  occurs  in  the  Talmud  respecting 
this  festival.  "  Rabbi  Levi  saith,  '  Why  is  the  name  of  it 
called  drawing  of  water  ?  Because  of  the  drawing  or  pour- 
ing out  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  according  as  it  is  said,  With 
joy  shall  ye  draw  water  out  of  the  wells  of  salvation.' ' 

Such  were  the  scenes  at  the  feast  of  Tabernacles  repeated 
day  after  day,  for  seven  days,  with  the  slight  exceptions 
above  noticed;  and  it  was  evidently  a  time  of  great  hilarity, 
mixed  with  so  much  of  a  religious  character  as  to  give  in 
their  minds  a  sanction  to  great  enjoyment.  They  felt  it  a 
duty  to  enjoy  the  present  with  thankfulness  for  the  past; 
while  also,  from  the  solemnities  of  the  eighth  day,  they 
might  look  for  blessings  on  the  coming  year. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
THE  MESSIAH  AT  THE  FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES. 

"TT/THEREishe?" 

The  number  of  people  estimated  by  Josephus,  to 

be  usually  present  at  a  Passover  feast  was,  as  already  stated, 
two  millions,  seven  hundred  thousand;2  and  we  may  sup- 
pose that  it  could  not  be  much  less  on  such  an  occasion  as 


See  Lightfoot—  Temple  Service.  2  Bel.  vi.  9,  §  3. 


AT   THE  FEAST   OF   TABERNACLES.  235 

this.  The  temple  ceremonies  occupied  but  a  small  portion 
of  their  time ;  and  great  sociability  must  have  prevailed 
amid  so  large  an  assembly.  We  may  easily  suppose  what 
was  the  universal  theme ;  and  the  great  variety  of  forms  in 
which  it  was  discussed. 

The  Messiah  had  not  yet  made  his  appearance  there ;  for 
such  scenes  as  those  described  in  our  last  chapter  could  have 
had  little  attraction  for  him  ;  and  he  had  resisted  the  solici- 
tations of  his  kinsmen  in  Galilee  to  go  up  early  to  the  feast. 
These  last  "did  not  believe  in  him ;"'  for  "a  prophet  is  not 
without  honor,  save  in  his  own  country ;"  and  the  claims  of 
the  Messiah  must  have  been  startling  to  his  own  connections, 
as  we  know  they  were  to  the  people  generally  in  Nazareth. 
We  of  our  time,  who  know  what  has  been  the  operation  of 
his  doctrines  through  eighteen  centuries,  and  who  can  com- 
pare them  with  those  of  all  other  teachers,  and  see  how  pure, 
how  perfect,  and  how  God-like  they  are ;  and  can  trace  also, 
the  greatness  of  his  life  down  to  the  wonderful  self-sacrifice 
in  its  close;  and  who  also  are  free  from  the  Jewish  preju- 
dices of  that  day,  and  their  extravagant  expectations  respect- 
ing the  Messiah,  may  wonder  at  the  obstinate  resistance  to 
Christ,  and  especially  to  the  force  of  all  those  miracles 
wrought  before  their  eyes.  But  we  know  how  the  Pharisees 
parried  off  this  last ;  and  we  must  remember  how  cramped 
was  the  Jewish  mind,  how  narrow  their  intellectual  horizon, 
and  how  enslaved  by  fear  the  largest  portion  of  them  were 
to  men  ruling  by  the  power  of  that  mysterious  undefinable 
unwritten  law  ;  those  rulers  denounced  by  Christ  as  "  hypo- 
crites;" "for,"  he  said,  "ye  compass  sea  and  land  to  make 
one  proselyte;  and  when  he  is  made,  ye  make  him  twofold 
more  the  child  of  hell  than  yourselves." 

At  this  feast  were  two  sets  of  men  putting  the  question, 
"  Where  is  he  ?" — the  rulers,  who  did  so  openly ;  and  the 


John  vii.  5. 


236      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

multitudes,  who  through  fear  of  them,1  "  murmured2  con- 
cerning Christ,"  giving  in  suppressed  tones,  their  opinions: 
some  saying,  "He  is  a  good  man;  others,  '  Nay ;  but  he 
deceiveth  the  people.' JJ  There  was  among  both  classes  an 
anxiety  concerning  him ;  in  the  rulers  it  was  mingled  with 
fear  as  to  what  his  influence  on  this  vast  excitable  multitude 
might  become;  among  the  people  was  an  intense  desire  to 
decide  respecting  him,  by  what  their  own  eyes  might  see. 
The  people  from  Galilee  brought  astonishing  rumors  of  the 
miracles  performed  in  their  country,  very  great  in  number, 
and  wonderful  in  character,  which  were  here  detailed  in  low 
tones ;  the  very  caution  used  lest  the  rulers  should  hear  them, 
only  sharpening  the  curiosity  of  the  hearers.  Men  from  De- 
capolis,  and  from  the  region  north  of  Galilee,  also  described 
what  they  had  seen ;  and  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  it- 
self could  tell  of  the  miracle  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda,  made 
more  famous  by  the  consequences  which  immediately  en- 
sued. 

It  was  known  that  there  had  been  a  breach  between  Christ 
and  their  rulers,  and  that  issue  had  been  fully  made ;  they 
seeking  his  life  and  even  uniting  with  the  hostile  element 
in  the  Herodians  to  effect  their  purpose;  and  he  denouncing 
them  as  hypocrites,  "  transgressors  of  the  word  of  God  by 
their  traditions,"  and  "  blind  leaders  of  the  blind."3  It 
seemed  as  if  it  might  be  extremely  perilous  for  him  to  ap- 
pear at  the  festival.  Amid  the  hopes  and  fears  on  both 
sides  the  question  was  often  repeated, 

«  Where  is  he?" 

Suddenly,  in  the  middle  of  the  feast,  it  was  reported  that 
he  was  in  the  city,  and  even  in  the  temple,  teaching  there. 
Such  public  places,  and  especially  covered  porticos,  as  in  the 

1  John  vii.  13. 

2  Ihe  word  royyw/«5s,  translated  murmuring,  means  literally  a  buzzing, 
very  significant  of  their  low  tones  in  this  conversation. 

3  Matt.  xv.  3,  14. 


AT   THE   FEAST   OF   TABERNACLES.  237 

case  of  the  stow  in  Greece  and  Rome,  were  the  favorite  re- 
sort of  teachers  in  those  days ;  and  the  Messiah  appears  to 
have  immediately  proceeded  to  the  cloisters  of  the  temple, 
a  place  very  well  adapted  to  his  purpose. 

The  Jewish  rulers  were  confounded.  Pharisees  and 
Scribes  from  Galilee  had  brought  them  accounts  of  his  teach- 
ings in  that  region,  and  of  the  effects  produced  on  the  peo- 
ple there; — how  these  admired  and  followed  him,  and 
approved  his  doctrines ;  and  here  he  was  now  in  their  very 
temple-courts,  apparently  about  to  produce  there  simi- 
lar effects.  It  was  a  bold  act, — this  invasion  of  their  own 
precincts,  and  this  placing  of  himself  publicly  before  them, 
both  rulers  and  people  in  Jerusalem,  as  a  teacher.  And  how 
attentively  the  multitudes  were  listening  to  him !  The 
rulers  looked  out  from  the  Sanhedrim  room,  and  observed 
among  the  thickly-packed  masses  the  form  of  the  Teacher, 
his  earnest  impressiveness  of  manner,  the  wonderful  charac- 
teristic of  that  Presence  which  seemed  to  belong  to  him ;  a 
glow  in  the  face,  that  seemed  to  come  partly  from  his  earn- 
est words  and  the  nature  of  his  teachings,  and  partly  from 
his  inner  being.  They  saw,  and  were  filled  with  both  won- 
der and  alarm.  It  was  evident  that  their  combinations 
against  his  life  had  not  frightened  him  into  silence;  and 
here  now  he  was  producing  effects  on  those  vast  crowds 
which  might  render  any  further  efforts  against  him  danger- 
ous to  themselves.  What  authority  had  he  to  teach?  was 
a  question  which  it  seemed  to  be  too  late  now  to  put,  al- 
though this  appears  to  have  been  his  first  teaching  in  Jeru- 
salem ;  for  the  fixed  attention  of  the  multitudes,  and  their 
lighted-np  and  earnest  faces,  appeared  to  be  fully  endorsing 
his  teachings,  although  the  proceedings  now  were  altogether 
out  of  regular  order.  He  had  received  no  authorization 
from  their  great  schools,  and  indeed  could  never  have  re- 
ceived there  such  doctrines  as  he  was  now  promulgating, — 
especially  when  the  denunciations  of  the  Traditional  Law 


238      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

came  from  his  lips.  There  was  an  originality,  with  a  fresh- 
ness and  a  clearness  and  convincing  power  in  what  he  said, 
which  were  different  from  the  mumblings  and  jargon  of 
their  schools ;  but  it  was  all  unauthorized.  Surprised  and 
confounded,  the  rulers  could  not  prevent  admiration  from 
mingling  with  their  wrath;  and  yet  their  words,  as  they 
reached  his  ears,  implied  half  a  sneer : — 

"  How  knoweth  this  man  letters,  having  never  learned  ?" 
He  answered : 

"  My  doctrine  is  not  mine  but  his  that  sent  me :"  and 
then  he  proceeded  to  the  declaration  of  a  truth  springing 
from  the  deepest  philosophy  of  our  nature. 

"If  any  man  WILL  DO  the  will  of  my  Father,  he  shall 
know  of  the  doctrine:"  a  sound  philosophy,  yet  very  little 
regarded  by  men.  Our  emotional  nature  governs  us  more 
than  does  our  intellect.  What,  from  the  influence  of  our 
feelings,  we  wish  to  believe,  we  generally  end  with  believ- 
ing. Our  reason  is  a  single  element:  the  emotions  are 
multifarious,  often  unsuspected  by  us,  and  when  wrong 
making  readily-admitted  apologies :  they  crowd  around  the 
reason,  and  overshadow  and  blind  it.  Therefore,  when  we 
wish  to  seek  truth,  our  first  effort  should  be  to  look  at  our 
hearts,  and  to  be  certain  that  we  desire  it:  and  most  of  all, 
ought  we  to  be  certain  that  we  are  willing  to  take  with  it 
also  its  consequences,  making  it  practical  as  fast  as  it  is 
gained.  Then  shall  we  know  truth.  "  If  any  man  will  do 
his  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine." 

The  Divine  Teacher  then  referred  to  the  annulling  of 
Moses's  law,  notwithstanding  their  hypocritical  professions 
of  respect  for  it :  for,  basing  their  acts  on  such  professions, 
they  formerly  (after  the  cure  at  Bethesda)  "  sought  to  slay 
him." 

"Why  do  ye  go  about  to  kill  me?" — The  people  living 
in  Jerusalem  were  aware  of  that  purpose  in  their  rulers: 
but  it  was  a  new  idea  to  strangers :  and  the  audience  in  the 


AT   THE   FEAST   OF   TABERNACLES* 


239 


temple  cried  out  in  astonishment,  "  Thou  art  mad :  who  goeth 
about  to  kill  thee?"  He  reasoned  with  them  then  about  his 
former  healing,  and  about  the  vindictiveness  shown  on  that 
occasion,  adding,  "  Judge  not  according  to  appearance,  but 
judge  righteous  judgment."  It  had  now  become  a  scene  of 
excitement  among  those  people  so  given  to  strong,  outward 
demonstrations  and  to  quick  emotions.  Some  of  the  people 
of  Jerusalem  said :  "Is  not  this  he  whom  they  seek  to  kill? 
But  lo,  he  speaketh  openly,  and  they  say  nothing  unto  him. 
Do  the  rulers  know  that  this  is  the  very  Christ?'7  which 
remark  was  met  immediately  by  objections;  "  We  know  this 
man  whence  he  is:  but  when  Christ  cometh,  no  man  knoweth 
whence  he  is." 

Their  objection  is  another  example  of  the  difficulty  which 
truth  had  to  encounter  in  Judea;  for  a  belief  was  current 
that  there  was  to  be  a  two-fold  manifestation  of  the  Messiah; 
the  first  at  Bethlehem,  after  which  he  would  straightway 


BL 


t  is  now:   viewed  from  the  North. 


disappear  and  be  hid.     Then  again,  he  would  show  himself; 
but  from  what  place  or  at  what  time  that  would  be,  no  one 


240      LIFE- SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

knew.  They  believed  that  at  his  first  appearance  at  Bethle- 
hem, he  would  do  nothing  remarkable:  in  his  second  coming 
rested  the  hope  and  expectation  of  the  nation.1 

The  Messiah  met  their  objection,  "  when  Christ  cometh, 
no  man  knoweth  whence  he  is/'  by  referring  to  his  divine 
origin ;  and  now  his  enemies — all  the  while  watching  an 
opportunity — made  an  effort  to  seize  on  him.  But  in  this 
they  did  not  succeed,  "  because  his  hour  had  not  yet  come." 

There  was,  however,  after  a  while  a  more  formal  and 
official  effort  to  put  an  end  to  these  proceedings,  and  to 
seize  upon  his  person.  The  Pharisees  were  informed  that 
numbers  of  the  people  were  believing  on  him,  and  saying 
among  themselves,  "  When  Christ  cometh,  will  he  do  more 
miracles  than  these  which  this  man  doeth  ?"  which  was  a  logic 
so  clear  to  the  understanding  of  the  multitudes,  and  so  conclu- 
sive, that  it  soon  became  alarming  in  its  results.  The 
reports  from  the  Galileans  here  at  the  feast,  had  spread 
widely  among  the  multitudes,  who  were  mostly  country 
people  like  themselves,  who  did  not  stop  to  argue  much,  but 
came  by  a  quick  way  to  conclusions ;  and  the  effect  was 
becoming  epidemic.  In  a  little  while  the  public  sentiment 
in  Christ's  favor  might  break  through  all  those  restraints  of 
the  leaders,  which  had  kept  the  people  in  check. 

This  danger  must  be  met  at  once :  and  for  this  purpose 
the  power  of  the  Sanhedrim  was  invoked.2  The  chief 
priests  were  also  called  upon  for  help;  for  here,  even  in  the 
temple,  and  near  the  altar  and  amid  the  festival  celebrations, 
had  this  exhibition  been  made  of  the  popular  feeling  in  his 
favor. 

"There  were  several  ranks  of  priests;  all  connected  with 


1  The  large  building  on  the  left  in  the  wood-cut  i«  the, church  over  the 
reputed  place  of  the  nativity.     The  town  is  undoubtedly  on  the  site  of 
the  ancient  Bethlehem. 

2  This  is  clearly  the  inference  from  John  vii.  45-52. 


AT   THE  FEAST   OF   TABERNACLES.  241 

the  temple.  1st  The  plebeian  priests,  namely,  such  as  were 
not  of  the  common  people,  but  wanted  school  education, 
and  were  not  reckoned  among  the  learned  nor  such  as  were 
devoted  to  religion.  For  seeing  that  the  whole  seed  of 
Aaron  was  sacerdotal,  and  priests  were  not  so  much  made  as 
born,  no  wonder  if  some  ignorant  and  poor  were  among 
them.  Hence  is  that  caution  given,  'that  an  oblation  be 
not  given  to  a  plebeian  priest/  and  the  reason  is  added, 
'  Because  whosoever  giveth  oblation  to  a  plebeian  priest  doth 
all  one  as  if  he  should  give  it  to  a  lion,  of  which  it  may  be 
doubted  whether  he  will  tread  it  under  feet,  or  eat  it  or  not. 
[These  men  performed  offices  at  the  altar,  being  instructed 
for  such  duty  at  the  time]. — 2d.  There  were  others  who 
were  called  Idiot  and  private  priests,  who,  although  they 
were  both  learned  and  performed  the  public  offices  at  the 
altar,  yet  were  called  private,  because  they  were  priests  of  a 
lower  and  not  written  order. — 3d.  The  written  degree  of 
priests  was  four-fold,  besides  the  degree  of  the  high  priest : 
1,  Heads  of  ephemeries  or  courses,  which  were  twenty-four 
in  number:  2,  Heads  of  families  in  every  course:  3,  Presi- 
dents of  various  offices  in  the  temple:  4,  Any  priests  or 
Levites  indeed,  (although  not  in  these  orders),  that  were 
chosen  into  the  chief  Sanhedrim.  Chief  priests,  therefore, 
here  and  elsewhere,  where  the  discourse  is  of  the  Sanhedrim, 
were  they,  who,  being  of  the  priestly  or  Levitical  stock, 
were  chosen  into  that  chief  Senate/'1 

The  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  sent  officers,  probably 
from  those  connected  with  the  Sanhedrim  or  temple,  with 
directions  to  watch  for  a  proper  opportunity  to  seize  upon 
him :  and  from  that  time  he  was  closely  followed  and 
observed;  his  words  were  weighed  by  the  spies;  keen  eyes 
were  constantly  upon  him  scrutinizing  his  actions;  and 
official  authority  was  waiting,  till  there  should  be  some 


1  Lightfoot. 
21 


242      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

occasion  when  the  seizure  might  be  made  without  raising  a 
tumult  among  the  people.  Matters  semed  to  be  coming  to 
a  crisis.  All  this  time  an  under-current  of  admiration  and 
of  hearty  affection  among  the  multitudes  was  growing 
stronger  every  hour.  He  said  to  the  people,  "  Yet  a  little 
while  am  I  with  you,  and  then  I  go  unto  him  that  sent  me. 
Ye  shall  seek  me  and  shall  not  find  me,  and  where  I  am 
thither  ye  cannot  come."  These  words  perplexed  both 
enemies  and  friends. 

The  feast  lasted,  strictly  speaking,  only  seven  days ;'  yet 
in  the  law  there  is  also  mention  made  of  eight  days;2  and 
the  eighth  came  gradually  to  be  considered  the  greatest  of 
all.  In  Josephus,  (Ant.  iii.  10,  §  4),  the  eighth  day,  together 
with  the  first,  is  designated  as  the  time  of  especial  rest. 
The  singing  and  dancing  the  night  previous  had  been 
intermitted,  as  that  was  the  beginning  of  this,  a  holy  day, 
— the  Jewish  day  always  commencing  at  sunset.  The 
booths  were  on  this  day  taken  down ;  the  lulabb  was  laid 
aside ;  and  the  pome-citron  was  eaten,  which  could  not  be 
done  on  any  other  day.  The  libation  of  water  with  wine 
had  now  a  more  important  meaning  than  on  any  other  day ; 
for  on  the  eighth  day,  according  to  the  Talmud,  "Judgment 
is  made  of  the  waters,  and  God  determined  what  rains  shall 
be  for  the  following  year."  The  Talmud  says,  also,  "  Why 
doth  the  law  command,  saying,  '  offer  ye  water  on  the  feast 
of  the  Tabernacles?'  The  Holy,  blessed  God  saith,  'offer 
ye  waters  before  me  on  your  feast  of  Tabernacles  that  the 
rains  of  the  year  may  be  blessed  to  you."  "  In  the  feast  of 
Tabernacles  it  was  determined  concerning  the  waters." 
"  Why  do  they  call  it  the  house  of  drawing?  Because 
thence  they  draw  the  Holy  Spirit."3 


1  Lev.  xxiii.  34 :  Deut.  xvi.  13. 

2  Lev.  xxiii.  36:  Numbers  xxix.  35:  see  also  Nehemiah  viii.  18. 

3  Lightfoot. 


AT   THE  FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES.  243 

Rains  in  Palestine  are  far  more  uncertain  than  with  us, 
and  therefore  on  this  last  great  day  of  their  feast  their  reli- 
gious exercises  took  an  unusually  interesting  form.  With 
the  deepest  earnestness  they  raised  their  voices  in  the  Hallel ; 
with  the  most  hearty  devotion  they  joined  in  the  exercises 
of  the  sacrificial  offering,  and  particularly  the  one  peculiar 
to  this  feast,  the  water-libation. 

This  eighth  day  of  the  feast  arrived.  On  the  morrow 
the  crowds  were  to  disperse,  and  to  return  to  their  distant 
homes.  It  had  been  such  a  festival  as  they  had  never  wit- 
nessed before,  one  of  strong  excitements,  of  discussions  among 
themselves  respecting  this  Wonderful  Being  possessing  such 
miraculous  powers,  and  so  interesting  in  his  teachings.  They 
had  seen  him  with  their  own  eyes,  and  had  heard  him — that 
face  so  striking  from  the  Divinity  glowing  in  all  its  linea- 
ments, and  so  winning,  and  that  voice  so  gentle  in  its  modu- 
lations, mingled  however  so  strangely  with  authority.  They 
did  not  wish  to  go  away  only  half-satisfied,  and  now  on  this 
last  day  they  watched  for  him,  and  when  he  came  listened  for 
his  words  with  peculiar  attention  and  a  greatly  increased  in- 
terest. Their  feelings  yearned  toward  him,  for  he  had 
spoken  to  their  hearts,  and  his  words  had  reached  those  eter- 
nal longings  which  the  soul  has  for  an  inner  life,  calling  for 
it  with  an  earnest,  unceasing  cry. 

The  first  words  from  him  this  eighth  morning  startled  all 
who  heard  him ;  they  were  such  an  answer  to  all  those  long- 
ings :— 

"  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink. 
He  that  believeth  on  me,  as  the  Scripture  hath  said,  out  of 
his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  waters." ' 

That  very  water  of  Si  loam,  carried  now  by  them  in  a  tank- 
ard and  received  at  the  altar  with  loud  sounds  of  the  trum- 
pets and  cymbals  and  peculiar  rejoicings,  and  when  poured 


1  John  vii.  37,  38. 


244     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

on  with  the  wine  in  libations,  accompanied  by  the  loud 
Hallels  of  the  immense  multitudes,  was  believed  by  them 
to  be  significant  of  the  pouring  out  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in- 
dicative of  some  mighty,  direct,  supernatural  influences; 
and  here  now  that  Wonderful  Being,  wonderful  beyond  all 
that  they  had  ever  seen  or  heard  of  called  to  them : 

"  If  any  man  thirst  let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink ;" 
and  said,  moreover,  that  those  who  thus  came  to  him  should 
be  the  means  of  allaying  the  thirst  of  others.  Did  not  their 
souls  thirst  with  a  ceaseless  cry  to  have  the  feeling  assuaged? 
Every  man  there  knew  and  felt  this  to  be  the  case. 

Many  said  when  they  heard  him  : 

"Of  a  truth  this  is  the  prophet;"  others,  their  hearts 
fully  responding  to  his  words, 

"  This  is  the  Christ."     Some  replied  : 

"Shall  Christ  come  out  of  Galilee?"  And  in  their  ignorance 
of  his  birth-place  they  quoted  against  him  the  Scriptures 
which  said  that  he  ought  to  come  from  Bethlehem.  Thus 
a  disputing  arose  among  the  crowd,  and  there  was  an  agita- 
tion in  those  temple  precincts ;  the  sacrifices  at  the  altar  con- 
tinuing in  the  meanwhile.  Some  would  have  seized  him, 
but  the  Eoman  garrison  in  Jerusalem  was  on  these  occasions 
particularly  careful  to  repress  tumults,  and  there  was  a  lofty 
watch-tower  at  the  south-east  corner  of  Antonia  from  which 
every  part  of  the  temple  courts  was  overlooked.1  There 
was  consequently  no  violence  to  him  at  this  time. 

The  officers  sent  by  the  Sanhedrim  t<f  watch  him  and  to 
seize  him  if  a  safe  opportunity  for  doing  so  should  offer, 


1  Jos.  De  Bel.  v.  5,  $  8.  "  And  as  the  entire  structure  (of  Antonia)  re- 
sembled that  of  a  tower,  it  contained  also  four  other  distinct  towers  at  its 
four  corners,  whereof  the  others  were  but  fifty  cubits  high,  whereas  thai 
which  lay  upon  the  south-east  corner  was  seventy  cubits  high,  that  from 
thence  the  whole  temple  might  be  viewed."  For  this  tower  see  the  view- 
in  chapter  xxxviii.  of  this  book. 


AT  THE  FEAST   OF   TABERNACLES.  245 

now  came  and  presented  themselves  before  their  superiors  in 
session  in  the  council  chamber. 

"  Why  have  ye  not  brought  him  ?"  was  the  angry  demand. 
They  answered : 

"  Never  man  spake  like  this  man." 

With  eyes  flashing  scorn  and  anger  the  Pharisees  spoke 
out: — 

"  Are  ye  also  deceived  ?  Have  any  of  the  rulers  or  of 
the  Pharisees  believed  on  him  ?  But  this  people  who  know 
not  the  law  are  cursed." 

One  voice  in  the  Sanhedrim  was  raised  for  the  purpose 
of  checking  such  proceedings,  rather  however  in  expostula- 
tion with  the  rulers  than  in  defence  of  Christ.  It  was  that 
of  Nicodemus,  not  yet  bold  as  he  afterwards  became,  but 
still  not  willing  by  silence  to  seemingly  endorse  their  action. 

"Doth  our  law  judge  any  man  before  it  hear  him,  and 
know  what  he  doeth  ?"  he  asked ;  and  the  remark  brought 
a  storm  of  wrath  upon  him. 

"Art  thou  also  of  Galilee?  Search  and  look,  for  out  of 
Galilee  ariseth  no  prophet." 

Their  hatred  led  them  to  malign  even  their  own  best  pro- 
phets and  to  falsify  history,  for  Elijah  was  from  Galilee,  as 
was  also  Jonah  and  perhaps  Nahum  and  Hosea.1 

This  council  seems  to  have  broken  up  in  tumult  of  pas- 
sion :  "And  every  man  went  unto  his  own  house."2 

Another  scene  of  dancing  and  similar  festivities  during  that 
evening  formed  the  closing  event  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles. 


Alford.  2  John  vii.  11-53. 


246      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 
BETH  ANT  AND  ROAD    TO  JERICHO— A  PARABLE. 

AWAY  from  the  turbulence  of  the  city.     It  is  very  plea- 
sant to  accompany  the  Messiah  as  we  may  now  do  to 
a  quiet  retreat  in  the  country,  and  to  a  family  of  friends 
whose  feelings  were  all  in  harmony  with  his  own. 

Across  the  Kedron  and  directly  opposite  the  city  on  the 
east  is  the  Mount  of  Olives,  a  range  about  two  miles  in 
length  and  having  three  rounded  summits,  the  central  one 
appearing  to  the  eye  the  highest  as  seen  from  the  city.  This 
is  114  feet  above  the  average  height  of  Mount  Zion  and 
227  above  the  Haram  area.  This  mountain  with  its  grace- 
fully curving  outline  is  a  beautiful  feature  in  the  landscape, 
and  the  olive  trees  scattered  over  its  sides  are  still  nume- 
rous enough  to  justify  its  ancient  name.  It  has  now  scarcely 
a  dwelling  on  it,  but  in  those  former  days  it  was  perhaps 
studded  all  over  with  houses  and  gardens,  and  must  have 
presented  as  looked  on  from  the  city  a  very  charming  scene. 
The  writer  of  this  work  has  still  a  glow  at  his  heart  as  he 
remembers  how,  after  having  entered  Jerusalem  by  night,  he 
early  on  the  following  morning  on  reaching  the  house-top  and 
looking  out  had  directly  before  him  this  mountain,  over  the 
middle  summit  of  which  the  sun  was  showing  its  first  beams 
in  a  cloudless  sky.  Nor  was  the  view  enjoyed  afterward  from 
the  summit  of  the  mountain  less  exhilarating,  taking  in  as 
it  did  an  immense  extent  of  country,  the  "  chatoyant  tints" 
of  the  high  mountain  of  Moab  and  Ammon  and  Pisgah's 
top,  the  Dead  Sea,  the  plain  of  Jericho,  and  the  verdure 
marking  the  course  of  the  Jordan,  while  the  utter  desola- 
tion of  "  the  wilderness  of  Judea,"  just  to  the  east  of  the 


AT  BETH  ANT.  247 

spectator,  gave  force  by  contrast  to  the  variegated  habit- 
able country  in  all  other  directions,  and  especially  to  the 
valleys  just  on  the  west  and  to  the  city  picturesque  in  itself 
and  rich  as  is  no  other  on  earth  in  thrilling  associations. 

Two  shorter  roads  cross  the  mountain  going  directly  up 
by  zigzag,  while  a  third,  the  caravan  road  of  former  times  as 
it  is  still,  ascends  slantingly  along  the  south-eastern  part,  and 
toward  its  summit  crosses  through  an  opening  among  the 
rocks.  This  last  road  and  this  opening  where  a  person  com- 
ing from  the  east  first  gets  sight  of  the  city,  are  all  places 
very  dear  to  the  Christian ;  for  along  this  way  the  Messiah 
doubtless  came  when  making  his  public  entry  into  Jerusa- 
lem, and  at  this  highest  point  where  the  view  of  the  city 
opened  upon  him  he  wept  over  the  devoted  place.  If  we 
are  proceeding  eastward  from  Jerusalem  by  this  road,  then 
after  following  it  around  the  southern  end  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  we  descend  along  some  spurs  on  the  eastern  side,  and 
at  about  two  miles  from  the  city  come  to  a  village  of  about 
twenty  houses  in  a  dilapidated  condition,  but  pleasantly 
situated,  for  a  fountain  with  sparkling  water  gushes  from 
the  side  of  the  hill,  and  olive  trees  abound,  which  Robinson 
describes  as  musical  with  the  songs  of  nightingales. . 

The  name  of  this  place  sends  a  gush  of  tender  and  plea- 
sant feelings  into  the  Christian  heart;  for  this  is  Bethany, 
undoubtedly  on  the  site  of  the  town  of  that  name  in  our 
Saviour's  time.  It  lies  in  a  nook  on  the  south-east  side  of 
one  of  the  spurs  of  Olivet,  and  a  writer  says  of  it,  "the 
broken  ground  and  glens  [just  below  on  the  south]  and 
' braes'  with  the  glimpses  of  the  deep  descent  which  leads  to 
Jericho,  save  it  from  being  common-place,  and  give  to  it  a 
certain  wild,  sequestered,  Highland  character  of  its  own. 
When  it  was  well  cultivated  and  well  wooded  it  must  have 
been  of  all  the  places  near  Jerusalem  the  most  peaceful  as 
well  as  the  most  picturesque." 

Here  was  a  family  consisting  of  two  sisters,  Mary  and 


24«       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

Martha,  and  a  brother,  Lazarus,  hospitable,  genial  and  kind, 
among  whom  the  Messiah  could  find  a  most  welcome  fellow- 
ship in  his  feelings,  and  also  companionship  as  far  as  he 
could  have  companionship  on  earth.  To  this  place  he  re- 


Sethany  as  it  is  now;  viewed  from  the  south. 


tired  after  the  harassing  scenes  of  that  last  day  of  the  festi- 
val ;  and  soothing  indeed  must  have  been  the  quiet  of  the 
retired  spot  as  well  as  the  warm  sympathy  of  this  family. 
But  such  indulgence  was  not  to  be  protracted,  and  in  the 
morning  he  returned  to  the  temple  for  further  teaching,  and 
"all  the  people  came  unto  him."  The  Scribes  and  Phari- 
sees came  also,  bringing  a  case  before  him,  which  they 
hoped  would  place  him  in  a  dangerous  position  with  regard 
to  the  Roman  government,  or  to  the  people.  The  Mosaic 
law  required  the  individual  brought  into  his  presence  to  be 
put  to  death  :  and  they  demanded  of  him  a  decision.  If  he 
should  decide  according  to  the  ancient  law,  it  would  be  as- 
suming a  right  reserved  by  the  Roman  power  exclusively  to 


1  This  is  from  a  stereoscopic  picture,  the  full  accuracy  of  which  may 
therefore  be  relied  on. 


AT  BETH  ANT.  249 

itself;  if  against  the  law,  then  the  rulers  would  charge  him 
before  the  people  with  trying  to  abrogate  the  Mosaic  ordi- 
nances. He  relieved  himself  from  the  dilemma  in  a  manner 
which  put  the  rulers  themselves  to  confusion  and  shame.1 
The  teachings  in  the  temple  then  proceeded ;  but  they  were 
continually  interrupted  by  cavils  and  efforts  of  the  rulers  to 
bring  him  into  odium  among  the  multitudes ;  and  finally 
with  a  charge, 

"  Thou  art  a  Samaritan  and  hast  a  devil ;"  and  again : — 

"  We  know  that  thou  hast  a  devil,"  which  charges  he  met 
fearlessly ;  in  his  reply,  claiming  covenant  rights  as  inherent 
in  himself  and  not  received  through  Abraham.  He  ended 
with  the  declaration, 

"  Before  Abraham  was,  I  am ;"  on  which  their  fury  broke 
all  bounds ;  and  from  the  repairs  going  on  in  the  temple 
area,  they  took  up  stones  to  stone  him.  He  however  es- 
caped from  their  hands.2 

In  reading  these  teachings  and  discussions,  we  must  re- 
member the  sententious  nature  of  the  language  in  these  coun- 
tries, not  only  in  that  time  but  also  in  our  day;  a  mode  of 
speaking  often  very  different  from  our  own. 

From  an  occasion  probably  occurring  at  this  period,  we 
have  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  his  parables :  and  as  his 
words  were  often  suggested  by  the  scenery  about  him,  we 
may  suppose  the  parable  to  have  been  delivered  at  Bethany, 
or  near  to  it ;  this  town  being  just  on  the  edge  of  the  dreary 
"  wilderness,"  which  extended  the  whole  way  thence  to 
Jericho  and  the  Dead  Sea.  We  remark  here  also  that  Jeri- 
cho was  one  of  the  cities  appropriated  to  Priests  and  Le- 
vites,  and  that  at  the  times  of  which  we  are  writing,  12,000 
of  them  resided  in  that  city.  The  road  towards  it  from 
Bethany  is  thus  described  by  an  American  traveller/' 

"  The  road  beyond  Bethany  [eastward]  continues  to  de- 


John  viii.  2-11.  2  John  viii. 


250     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

scend,  though  a  number  of  ridges  extend  across  from  the 
north,  terminating  at  a  valley  on  our  right,  into  which  our 
road  pretty  soon  declined.  We  followed  this  valley  for 
three  hours  or  more  in  a  direction  nearly  south-east.  The 
whole  region  is  formed  of  limestone  rock,  commonly  broken 
and  precipitous,  and  shooting  out  spurs  into  and  athwart  the 
straitened  way,  so  as  to  make  our  progress  slow  and  labori- 
ous. We  were  perpetually  clambering  over  rocks  and  going 
down  broken,  precipitous  declivities,  which  though  really 
productive  of  no  other  evil  than  delay  and  fatigue,  often 
threatened  more  serious  dangers.  A  little  grass  [April  20], 
and  a  few  stunted  trees  appeared  in  the  valley  and  on  the 
hill-sides,  upon  the  first  part  of  the  route,  just  enough  to 
relieve  this  dreary  region  of  the  aspect  of  absolute  steri- 
lity which  characterizes  the  deserts  of  Arabia.  [He  then 
arrives  at  a  fountain  and  the  remains  of  a  Khan,  midway 
between  Jerusalem  and  Jericho.  The  bottom  of  the  valley 
beyond  the  Khan  is  sparingly  supplied  with  verdure ;  the 
mountains  on  either  side  are  bare,  and  '  exceedingly  dreary].' 
At  the  end  of  perhaps  an  hour-and-a-half  from  the  Khan, 
we  left  the  valley  to  the  right  hand  and  entered  upon  a  re- 
gion far  more  rugged  than  that  through  which  we  had  pre- 
viously passed.  The  verdure  gradually  diminished,  till  at 
length  not  a  shrub  or  blade  of  grass  was  visible.  Still  there 
was  less  bare  rock  than  before,  nor  was  it  of  so  dark  a  hue. 
The  surface  of  the  stone  was  more  loose  and  shelving,  and 
in  many  places  reduced  to  debris.  The  road  runs  along  the 
edge  of  steep  precipices  and  yawning  gulfs,  and  in  a  few 
places  is  overhung  with  the  crags  of  the  mountain.  The 
aspect  of  the  whole  region  is  peculiarly  savage  and  dreary, 
vieing  in  these  respects,  though  not  in  overpowering  gran- 
deur, with  the  wilds  of  Sinai.  The  mountains  seem  to  be 
loosened  from  their  foundations  and  rent  to  pieces  by  some 
terrible  convulsion,  and  then  left  to  be  scathed  by  the  rays 
of  the  sun,  which  scorches  this  naked  land  with  consuming 


AT  BETH  ANT.  251 

heat/"1  The  place  is  still  infested  with  robbers,  as  of 
old. 

A  lawyer, — one  of  those  persons  whose  business  it  was  to 
explain  the  Mosaic  ordinances,  but  more  especially  the 
Traditionary  Law,  asked  the  Messiah, 

" Master,  what  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life?"  and 
this  dialogue  followed, 

u  What  is  written  in  the  law?  how  readest  thou?" 

"  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God,  with  all  thy  heart, 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  strength,  and  with 
all  thy  might,  and  thy  neighbor  as  thyself." 

"Thou  hast  answered  right:  this  do,  and  thou  shalt 
live." 

"  And  who  is  my  neighbor  ?"  said  the  lawyer.  Jesus  an- 
swered,— 

"  A  certain  man  went  down  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho,  and 
fell  among  thieves,  which  stripped  him  of  his  raiment,  and 
wounded  him,  and  departed,  leaving  him  half  dead.  And 
by  chance  there  came  down  a  certain  priest  that  way ;  and 
when  he  saw  him,  he  passed  by  on  the  other  side.  And 
likewise  a  Levite,  when  he  was  at  the  place,  came  and  looked 
on  him,  and  passed  by  on  the  other  side.  But  a  certain 
Samaritan  as  he  journeyed,  came  where  he  was;  and  when 
he  saw  him  he  had  compassion  on  him,  and  went  to  him, 
and  bound  up  his  wounds,  pouring  in  oil  and  wine,  and  set 
him  on  his  own  beast,  and  brought  him  to  an  inn,  and  took 
care  of  him.  And  on  the  morrow,  when  he  departed,  he 
took  out  two-pence  and  gave  them  to  the  host,  and  said 
unto  him,  'Take  care  of  him;  and  whatsoever  thou  spend- 
cst  more,  when  I  come  again,  I  will  repay  thee.'  Which 
now  of  these  three,  thinkest  thou,  was  neighbor  unto  him 
that  fell  among  the  thieves? 

"He  that  showed  mercy  on  him." 


1  Dr.  Olin.     See  also  Josephus.     Bel.  iv.  8,  I  2. 


252     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

"Go  and  do  thoti  likewise."1 

The  lawyer  completely  thwarted  in  his  purpose,  and  made 
to  condemn  himself,  must  have  winced  under  the  applica- 
tion. He,  an  official  expounder  of  the  oral  law  was  directed, 
in  a  manner  which  he  could  not  refute,  to  take  a  Samaritan 
as  an  example,  when  this  oral  law  said,  "  If  one  sees  one  of 
the  Gentiles  fall  into  the  sea,  he  shall  not  fetch  him  up ;  for 
it  is  said,  Thou  shalt  not  stand  up  against  the  blow  of  thy 
neighbor.  But  such  an  one  is  not  thy  neighbor."2 

The  Messiah  himself  remembered  the  ten  lepers  recently 
cured  in  Samaria,  of  whom  only  one  returned  to  show  his 
gratitude,  and  that  one  a  Samaritan. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 
THE  MAN  BORN  BLIND. 

IT  is  always  an  interesting  spectacle  when  bold,  simple, 
plain  truth  comes  into  antagonism  with  the  cunning 
chicanery  of  men.  Truth  is  almost  sure  to  gain  the  victory, 
even  to  human  apprehension ;  and  its  opposite  writhes  all 
the  more  under  defeat,  because  the  means  producing  this  have 
been  so  simple. 

A  case  of  such  a  nature  in  Jerusalem,  comes  before  us 
now  in  this  history;  the  opponents  being  on  one  side,  a 
street  beggar;  on  the  other,  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim;  the 
former  single  and  alone,  even  his  parents  being  afraid  to 


1  Luke  x.  25-37.  2  Lightfoot. 


THE  MAN  BORN  BLIND.  253 

sustain  him,  though  conscious  that  he  was  right ;  the  latter 
armed  with  power,  and  using  as  an  instrument  of  terror,  a 
new  decree, — that  "  if  any  man  did  confess  that  Jesus  was 
the  Christ,  he  should  be  put  out  of  the  synagogue."  There 
were  three  degrees  of  excommunication  among  the  Jews : 
the  first  or  slightest  of  which  was  separation  from  the  syna- 
gogue, and  a  suspension  of  intercourse  with  all  Jews  whatso- 
ever. It  lasted  thirty  days;  and,  if  the  individual  did  not  re- 
pent, the  time  might  be  doubled  or  tripled.  The  second  kind 
of  putting  out  of  the  synagogue  was  called  the  curse.  It  was 
pronounced  witli  imprecations  in  the  presence  of  ten  men ; 
and  it  so  thoroughly  excluded  the  individual  from  all  com- 
munion whatever  with  his  countrymen,  that  they  were  not 
allowed  to  sell  him  even  the  necessaries  of  life.  The  third  de- 
gree was  solemn  and  absolute  exclusion  from  all  intercourse 
and  communion  with  any  other  individuals  of  the  nation ; 
and  the  criminal  was  left  in  the  hands  of  God.1 

The  Messiah  had  returned  from  Bethany  to  Jerusalem, 
and  was  passing  along  one  of  its  thoroughfares  with  his  disci- 
ples when  they  came  upon  an  object  that  might  well  excite 
commiseration — a  man  blind  from  his  birth.  In  the  disci- 
ples, however,  the  case  gave  rise  to  a  psychological  query, 
and  they  turned  to  the  Messiah  with  a  question  which  ap- 
pears singular  to  us,  but  which  arose  out  of  notions  more  or 
less  current  at  that  time :  "  Master,  who  did  sin,  this  man 
or  his  parents,  that  he  was  born  blind?"  The  belief  in 
metempsichosis,  or  previous  existence  of  souls,  was  univer- 
sal among  the  Pharisees ;  but  as,  in  their  opinion,  the  souls 
only  of  good  men  could  be  removed  into  other  bodies,  while 
those  of  bad  men  were  subject  to  eternal  punishment,2  such 
a  belief  could  not  have  given  rise  to  this  question.  Light- 
foot  says:  "It  appears  from  this  dispute  that  the  ancient 
opinion  of  the  Jews  was  that  the  infant  from  its  first  quick- 


1  Jahn's  Archaeology.         2  Jos.  Bel.  ii.  8,  §  14;  Antiq.  xviii.  1,  \  3. 

22 


254      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

erring  had  some  stain  upon  it.  And  the  great  doctor,  Judah, 
(compiler  of  the  Mishna)  was  originally  of  that  opinion 
himself."  The  sweeping  remark  of  the  Pharisees  in  verse 
24  of  this  chapter1  intimates  that  both  the  man  and  his 
parents  were  originally  guilty  of  sins  with  which  they  them- 
selves could  not  be  charged. 

The  Messiah  replied  to  the  disciples  that  the  cause  of  his 
being  so  born  was  in  God's  own  purposes  for  good,  always 
wider  than  any  individuality  ;  to  which  he  added  some  other 
remarks,  and  then  he  spat  on  the  ground  and  made  clay 
with  the  spittle,  and  having  anointed  the  eyes  of  the  blind 
man  he  bade  him  go  and  wash  in  the  pool  of  Siloam,  which 
was  at  the  outlet  of  the  Tyropeon  valley,  and  probably  not 
far  from  where  this  incident  occurred. 

What  did  the  man  himself  think  of  this?  The  blind  are 
quick-witted,  and  also  sharp  in  hearing ; .  and  his  obeying  so 
promptly  the  direction  shows  that  he  fully  understood  who 
was  addressing  him  and  what  were  his  powers,  and  the  poor 
man  must  have  been  trembling  with  the  excess  of  hopes. 
He  stopped  not,  however,  for  inquiry  or  further  remarks, 
but  stumbling  in  his  haste,  earnest,  almost  wild  with  expec- 
tation, he  hurried  on,  reached  the  fountain,  washed,  SAW. 

Could  he  believe  it  himself?  And  yet  there  before  him 
were  objects  all  revealed — houses,  earth,  trees,  sky,  men — 
a  world  open  all  at  once  upon  him  full  of  its  strange,  mov- 
ing scenes  and  its  beautiful  sights.  How  often  had  he  won- 
dered how  things  looked !  now  he  saw.  How  often  had  he 
tried  to  imagine  what  color  was !  there  were  colors  every- 
where now,  though  he  knew  not  their  names.  There  was 
the  water  gurgling  at  the  fountain,  with  its  old  familiar 
sound;  he  saw  it  now;  yonder  was  a  mountain — Olivet, 
was  it  ?  Yonder — yes,  that  he  knew  must  be  the  temple  ; 
yonder  the  bridge  high  in  the  air  spanning  the  valley  of  the 


1  John  ix. 


THE  MAN  BORN  BLIND.  255 

Tyropeon.  That  hill  and  city  on  the  left  of  the  bridge  he 
knew  must  be  Zion  and  Jerusalem.  Great,  glorious,  grand, 
all  was  to  him  beautiful,  wonderful !  But  where  was  Jesus, 
he  who  had  given  all  this  blessedness  to  him?  The  man 
turned  back  again  up  the  Tyropeon  valley,  and  went  toward 
the  city,  stumbling  now  even  worse  than  before.  Distant 
objects  seemed  to  be  close  by,  and  he  put  out  his  hand  to 
touch  them,  for  his  eyes  had  not  yet  learned  to  measure  dis- 
tances. He  raised  his  foot  at  inequalities  yards  off,  and 
brought  it  down,  almost  falling  as  he  did  so  on  level  space. 
He  was  more  uncertain  and  puzzled  in  his  movements  than 
he  had  ever  previously  been,  and  he  went  on  hesitating  and 
almost  falling  on  the  even  road,  yet  amused  at  his  mis-steps, 
and  delighted  at  everything  he  saw. 

But  his  ears,  so  sharp  always,- were  listening  with  painful 
earnestness  for  that  voice  which  he  was  sure  he  would  recog- 
nize ;  he  wanted  to  see  him.  Other  voices  he  soon  heard, 
and  they  were  in  loud  dispute : 

"  Is  not  this  he  that  sat  and  begged  ?"  some  asked. 

"  It  is  he/'  some  remarked. 

"He  is  like  him,"  said  others.     The  man  said: 

"I  am  he." 

"  How  were  thine  eyes  opened  ?" 

"A  man  who  is  called  Jesus  made  clay  and  anointed  mine 
eyes,  and  said  unto  me,  Go  to  the  pool  of  Siloam  and  wash, 
and  I  went  and  washed  and  I  received  sight/' 

"Where  is  he?" 

"  I  know  not.  " 

He  would  have  been  rejoiced  to  know,  but  he  had  at  pre- 
sent no  further  opportunities  for  searching,  for  the  Jewish 
rulers  had  their  watchful  agents  about  the  city,  and  before 
the  man  could  do  further  mischief  to  their  cause  by  satisfy- 
ing the  curiosity  of  the  people  he  was  seized  and  led  before 
the  Sanhedrim  itself. 

It  was  the  Sabbath-day  when  all  this  occurred. 


256      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

The  Sanhedrim  were  excited  by  what  they  saw  and  heard. 
The  man  was  before  them  with  eye-sight  as  good  as  theirs ; 
everybody  said  he  had  been  born  blind.  If  so,  it  was  a 
miracle  of  the  clearest  and  most  decided  character,  and  could 
not  be  contradicted.  What  should  they  do?  He  had  been  a 
street  beggar,  and  every  person  knew  him,  and  knew  what 
the  extent  of  his  affliction  had  been.  He  could  not  be 
silenced,  for  the  fame  of  this  event  was  already  spreading 
everywhere  about ;  they  could,  however,  perhaps  confound 
him  by  questions,  and  make  him  contradict  himself,  or 
through  fear  swerve  off  from  any  acknowledgment  of  the 
healer.  They  would  try. 

They  asked  him  how  he  had  received  his  sight :  and  he 
answered,  as  he  had  before  done  to  the  people  in  the  streets. 

"This  man,"  they  said,  "is  not  of  God  because  he 
keepeth  not  the  Sabbath  day :"  for,  some  of  the  Rabbins 
expressly  forbade  applying  saliva  at  all  to  the  eyelids  on 
the  Sabbath :  others  allowed  it  in  case  of  inflammation  of 
the  eyes.1 

"  How  can  a  man  that  is  a  sinner  do  such  miracles  ?"  said 
other  members  of  their  council. 

Their  own  Sanhedrim  was  becoming  divided.  They  tried 
him  again : 

"  What  sayest  thou  of  him,  that  he  hath  opened  thine 
eyes?" 

"  He  is  a  prophet,"  replied  the  bold  man,  bluntly  and 
decidedly. 

But  there  might  be  hopes  from  his  parents :  they  might 
be  induced,  through  fear  of  excommunication,  to  give  th<? 
subject  another  character,  perhaps  to  prevaricate,  or  at  least 
be  led  to  contradict  their  son.  They  were  sent  for,  and 
made  their  appearance  before  the  council.  The  latter 
asked : 


1  Lightfoot,  in  loco. 


THE  MAN  BORN  BLIND.  257 

"Is  this  your  son,  who  was  born  blind?  how,  then,  doth 
lie  now  see  ?" 

"  We  know  that  this  is  our  son,  and  that  he  was  born 
blind:  but  by  what  means  he  now  seeth,  we  know  not:  or 
who  hath  opened  his  eyes  we  know  not :  he  is  of  age ;  ask 
him :  he  shall  speak  for  himself." 

The  poor  man  looked  at  them.  They  were  his  parents: 
and,  O  how  often,  in  childhood  and  manhood,  he  had 
desired,  with  most  intense  longing,  to  see  their  faces,  to 
know  what  were  their  features,  how  they  looked.  He  saw 
them  now,  his  own  father  and  mother,  standing  there ;  and 
the  longings  of  those  many  years  were  being  satisfied.  He 
was  not  able,  yet,  to  read  emotion  in  features ;  but  his  quick 
ear  knew,  long  ago,  all  the  intonations  of  their  voices:  and 
he  knew,  at  this  time,  only  too  well,  what  these  intonations 
in  their  reply  meant ;  and  that  they  were  basely  abandoning 
their  son  to  the  Sanhedrim,  through  fear,  in  the  very  hour 
and  joy  of  his  recovery ;  leaving  him  to  run  the  risk,  alone, 
among  those  cunning  men. 

The  rulers  addressed  him  again.  He  was  bolder  now, 
even  than  before ;  bold  in  his  indignation  at  the  meanness 
of  these  rulers,  who,  he  saw,  were  hoping  to  browbeat  his 
parents  into  a  contradiction  of  their  son's  words,  and  a 
denial  of  the  greatness  of  his  blessing;  and  bold,  also, 
through  determination  to  adhere  to  his  true  Friend  of  that 
morning,  who  had  given  him  the  blessing. 

"  Give  God  the  praise,"  they  said,  "  we  know  that  this 
man  is  a  sinner." 

"  Whether  he  be  a  sinner  or  no,"  he  answered,  "  I  know 
not.  One  thing  I  know,  that  whereas  I  was  blind,  now  I 
see." 

"What  did  l.e  to  thee?  how  opened  he  thine  eyes?" 
They  hoped  *for  some  stumbling  or  contradiction  in  his 
words.  The  brave,  quick-witted  man  seems  now  to  have 
been  in  a  quiet,  secret  enjoyment  of  their  dilemma.  Indig- 

22* 


258      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

nant  that  this  insolent  and  crafty  tribunal  should  tempt  him 
to  a  falsehood,  and  to  deny  his  benefactor,  and  to  assist  in 
the  downfall — and  perhaps  violent  death  of  one  who  had 
raised  him  to  a  joyous  life,  his  contempt  broke  through  all 
bounds,  and  threw  a  cutting  sarcasm  into  his  answer. 

"  I  have  told  you  already,  and  ye  did  not  hear :  where- 
fore would  ye  hear  it  again?  will  ye  also  be  his  disciples?'7 

"  A  stormy  scene  ensued.  They  saw  now  that  he  knew 
of  Christ  as  one  making  many  disciples : — how  could  he, 
the  shrewd  beggar,  help  knowing  it,  when  the  passers  by  at 
his  thoroughfare  had,  for  days,  been  full  of  talk  about  the 
Messiah  ?  They  saw  that  he  had  been  playing  with  their 
ill-disguised  hate  and  revengeful  purposes  towards  Christ ; 
and,  losing  their  dignity,  they  broke  upon  him  with  revi- 
lings : 

"Thou  art  his  disciple;  but  we  are  Moses'  disciples.  We 
know  that  God  spake  unto  Moses  :  as  for  this  fellow  we 
know  not  from  whence  he  is." 

He  answered,  as  before,  in  assumed  simplicity,  but  severe 
sarcasm : 

"  Why,  herein  is  a  marvellous  thing  that  ye  know  not 
from  whence  he  is,  and  yet  he  hath  opened  mine  eyes.  Now 
we  know  that  God  hoareth  not  sinners  ;  but  if  any  man  be 
a  worshipper  of  God,  and  doeth  his  will,  him  he  heareth. 
Since  the  world  began  was  it  not  heard  that  any  man  opened 
the  eyes  of  one  that  was  born  blind.  If  this  man  were  not 
of  God  he  could  do  nothing."  Their  reply  to  his  logic  was 
only  a  fierce  invective  loaded  with  Pharisaic  assumption  and 
scorn, 

"  Thou  wast  altogether  born  in  sins,  and  dost  thou  teach 
us?"  And  so  they  drove  him  out  of  the  Sanhedrim's 
presence. 

There  is  a  very  beautiful  appendage  to  all  this ;  and  it  is 
in  the  gentleness  and  childlike  simplicity  of  the  brave  man, 
when,  not  long  afterwards,  he  met  the  Messiah  himself. 


THE  FEAST  OF  DEDICATION.  259 

His  observations  on  the  human  face  had  not  given  very 
satisfactory  results;  for  they  had  shown  him  angry  and 
malignant  passions  at  work ;  the  cowed,  timid  looks  of  his 
parents ;  the  workings  of  disputatious  curiosity ;  the  angry 
scenes  of  the  Sanhedrim ;  the  violence  of  gesture  and  man- 
ner, when  they  drove  him  out.  He  knew  that  the  benevo- 
lent being,  who  had  given  him  the  great  blessing,  was  not 
to  be  sought  among  such  men  as  these ;  but  where  and  when 
should  he  see  him,  and  hear  those  well  remembered  tones  of 
kindness  again  ?  He  heard  them  suddenly.  The  Messiah 
had  knowledge  of  this  violence  in  the  council  chamber,  and 
had  perhaps  come  to  look  for  him;  and  the  man's  eyes  were, 
at  last,  fixed  on  the  features  so  different  from  those  in  the 
Sanhedrim ;  and  he  heard  the  same  tones  that  had  thrilled 
him  before.  He  was  asked  : 

"  Dost  thou  believe  on  the  Son  of  God  ?" 

"  Who  is  he,  Lord,  that  I  may  believe  on  him  ?" 

"  Thou  hast  seen  him,  and  it  is  he  that  talketh  with  thee." 

"  Lord  I  believe."     And  he  worshipped  him.1 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 
THE  FEAST  OF  DEDICATION. 

IT  will  be  remembered  that  under  Antiochus  Epiphanes 
"the  Illustrious,"  or  "the  Madman,"  (B.  C.  167),  the 
second  temple  at  Jerusalem,  built  by  Zerubbabel,  was  defiled ; 
the  exercise  of  the  Jewish  rites  of  religion  was  forbidden  ; 
a  statue  of  the  Olympic  Jupiter  was  placed  on  the  great 


John  ix.  1-38. 


260      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

altar,  and  sacrifices  to  that  god  were  there  offered  by  the 
Grecian  priests.  When  the  nationality  was  restored  by  the 
Maccabees,  and  the  city  was  in  part  recovered  (B.  C.  165) 
by  the  brave  Judas,  of  that  race,  he  found  shrubs  and  weeds 
growing  in  the  courts  of  the  temple,  and  a  scene  of  complete 
desolation  over  the  desecrated  grounds  of  Moriah.  With 
loud  lamentations,  and  with  the  sounds  of  martial  music, 
the  Jewish  people  went  up  to  the  temple ;  and  while  a  por- 
tion of  them,  with  arms  in  their  hands,  kept  watch  on  the 
Syrian  garrison  still  holding  the  adjacent  citadel,  others 
purified  the  grounds,  constructed  a  new  altar,  provided 
vessels  for  the  temple  services,  and  instituted,  on  the  25th 
of  December,1  the  Feast  of  Dedication,  to  be  continued 
seven  days,  which  was  ever  afterwards  held  sacred  in  the 
Jewish  calendar.  The  other  three  great  feasts  could  be  cel- 
ebrated only  at  Jerusalem,  but  this  might  be  observed  at 
their  homes.  It  was  a  time  of  great  rejoicing;  and  as  lights 
were  kept  burning  in  every  house  throughout  the  night,  this 
festival  had  also  the  name  of  Phota,  or  Lights. 

The  anniversary  of  this  feast  occurred  not  long  after  the 
events  named  in  the  last  chapter,  and  one  day  during  its 
continuance,  as  the  Messiah  was  walking  in  the  east  cloister 
of  the  temple — Solomon's  Porch — he  was  surrounded  by  the 
rulers  coming  evidently  with  no  friendly  intent.  They  ad- 
dressed him : — 

"How  long  dost  thou  worry  our  minds;2  tell  us  plainly 
if  thou  be  the  Christ  ?" 

The  elements  were  wintry  around  that  lofty  colonnade,  but 
no  sky  could  be  more  dark  and  lowering  than  were  the  pur- 
poses of  those  men;  for  the  city  was  deeply  affected  by  the 
miracles  of  Christ,  and  the  Pharisees  were  every  day  finding 
themselves  more  powerless  among  the  people,  while  their 
thirst  for  vengeance  was  daily  increasing.  Every  effc  rt  had 


'Alford.  2  ¥Ewf  TTOTE  rr\v  \\iVXnv  tjH&v  aTpetg. 


THE  FEAST  OF  DEDICATION.  261 

shown  how  futile  their  anger  was  becoming,  and  worse  than 
that  how  easily  they  might  be  foiled  by  the  very  singleness 
and  simplicity  of  the  means  used  for  their  defeat.  They 
had  tried  repeatedly  to  entrap  the  Messiah,  either  by  efforts 
to  lead  him  into  the  intricacies  of  their  law,  or  by  questions 
intended  to  involve  him  with  the  government,  or  by  placing 
him  in  situations  where  whatever  might  be  his  action,  trou- 
bles they  hoped  would  ensue. 

"How  long  dost  thou  trouble  our  souls?"  they  said  now, 
as  with  faces  marked  indeed  with  trouble  they  encircled 
him  in  that  portico,  ready  for  any  violence  that  opportunity 
might  suggest,  yet  feeling  the  strong  necessity  for  caution ; 
for  the  tower  seventy-five  feet  high  at  the  south-west  corner 
of  Antonia  looked  directly  into  this  portico,  and  Roman  sol- 
diers were  as  in  all  other  festival  times,  especially  on  the 
watch.1 

The  Messiah  said  in  answer  to  their  question : 

"  I  told  you,  and  ye  believed  not ;  the  works  that  I  do 
in  my  Father's  name,  they  bear  witness  of  me;7'  and  we 
can  imagine  him  looking  calmly  and  placidly  upon  them  as 
they  scowled  and  winced  at  this  simple  and  powerful  logic. 
For  the  multitudes  around  listening  to  this  dialogue  would 
all  remember  the  miracle  of  the  man  born  blind  and  re- 
stored to  sight.  He  added : 

"  But  ye  believe  not  because  ye  are  not  of  my  sheep,  as  I 
said  unto  you.  My  sheep  hear  my  voice,  and  I  know  them, 
and  they  follow  me ;  and  I  give  unto  them  eternal  life ;  and 
they  shall  never  perish,  neither  shall  any  pluck  them  out 
of  my  hand."  Then,  finally,  he  gave  the  climax  to  their 
rage  by  declaring : 

"  I  AND  MY  FATHER  ARE  ONE." 

There  were  stones  lying  near;  they  seized  them  and 
threatened  to  stone  him. 


1  Jos.  Bel.  ii.  12,  §  1. 


262     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

"  Many  good  works  have  I  showed  you  from  my  Father ; 
for  which  of  those  works  do  ye  stone  me?"  he  said. 

"  For  a  good  work  we  stone  thee  not,  but  for  blasphemy, 
and  because  that  thou,  being  a  man,  makest  thyself  God." 

He  made  no  disclaimer  to  this  charge  in  his  reply,  but 
they  listened,  forbearing  violence  till  he  added: 

"  If  I  do  not  the  works  of  my  Father  believe  me  not. 
But  if  I  do,  though  ye  believe  not  me,  believe  the  works ; 
that  ye  may  know  and  believe  that  the  Father  is  in  me,  and 
I  in  him." 

Again  their  wrath  became  furious,  and  there  was  a  rush 
in  order  to  commit  violence,  but  he  passed  safely  from  among 
them — "  his  time  had  not  yet  come."1 

He  crossed  over  the  Jordan  into  Perea,  and  it  is  a  relief, 
as  we  read  his  history,  to  find  him  once  more  away  from  that 
city  of  turbulence  and  violence  and  of  corrupt  men  false  in 
doctrine  and  hypocritical  in  life. 

He  was  now  breathing  the  pure  country  air  among  a  peo- 
ple of  more  simple  habits  and  more  open  to  the  truth.  It 
will  be  remembered  that  he  had  some  time  before  this,  while 
yet  at  Capernaum,  sent  out  seventy  of  his  disciples  with 
directions  to  go  "to  every  city  and  place  whither  he  himself 
would  come."  They  had  recently  returned  to  him  at  Jeru- 
salem, making  report  of  their  mission  with  joy;2  and  in  his 
thanksgiving  on  that  occasion  we  have  words  referring  to 
his  selection  of  such  men  : 

"  I  thank  thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  that 
thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent  and 
hast  revealed  them  unto  babes;  even  so,  Father,  for  so  it 
seemed  good  in  thy  sight."3 

Indeed,  the  scenes  which  we  have  just  been  witnessing  in 
Jerusalem  show  clearly  the  wisdom  in  the  Messiah's  choice 
which  excluded  such  men  as  the  schools  produced. 


John  x.  22-39.  a  Luke  x.  1.  3  Ibid,  verse  21. 


RAISING   OF  LAZARUS. 


The  people  resorted  to  him  in  Perea,  and  believed  on  him 
there.  They  said,  "John  did  no  miracle:  but  all  things 
that  John  spake  of  this  man  were  true."1 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
RAISING  Of  LAZARUS. 

"  T  AM  the  resurrection  and  the  life :  he  that  believeth  in 
•  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live:  and  whoso- 
ever liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall  never  die." 

What  a  power  there  is  in  words ! 

Those  words  of  Christ  have  been  like  symphonies  over 
the  world,  ever  since  they  were  uttered ;  reaching  the  dull 
ear  of  the  dying;  floating  about  the  solitary  home  of  the 
mourner  grieving  for  friends  laid  in  the  grave;  meeting  us, 
inscribed  on  the  church-yard  gate,  as  if  heaven  itself  had 
been  writing  on  its  portals;  and  through  all  life,  giving  us 
the  courage  to  meet  calmly  the  fearfulness  of  its  end. 

"  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life :  *  *  *  whosoever 
liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall  never  die."  The  history 
connected  with  those  words  is  a  very  remarkable  one. 

The  Messiah,  as  just  narrated,  had  gone  to  Perea  to 
deepen  the  instructions  given  there  by  the  seventy,  and  for 
other  labors  in  that  large,  and  in  some  portions  of  it  popu- 
lous, region.  He  was  yet,  however,  somewhere  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Jordan,  when  a  message  from  the  family  at 
Bethany  reached  him,  with  a  very  touching,  though  modest 
appeal : 

"  Lord,  behold  he  whom  thou  lovest  is  sick." 

The  message  did  not  ask  him  to  come  back  ;  but  the  sim- 


John  x.  41. 


264      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

pie  fact  of  its  being'sent  had  evidently  in  it  some  kind  of 
expectancy,  either  that  he  would  come,  or  that  he  would 
send  a  healing  communication,  or  at  once  speak  relief.  He 
who  could  open  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  and  had  cured 
so  many  in  Galilee  by  a  word, — among  them  the  distant  son 
of  the  nobleman  at  Capernaum, — could  heal  now  his  sick 
friend  by  a  similar  mandate,  even  if  he  should  not  come  to 
him  :  he  who  was  so  ready  to  relieve  strangers,  and  had 
stopped  before  the  beggar  at  the  wayside  to  speak  words  of 
pity  and  help,  would  not  surely  fail  now,  in  the  instance  of 
those  to  whom  he  was  so  much  attached.  The  message  came 
from  the  sisters  of  Lazarus,  stating  the  case  respecting  their 
brother  in  simple  but  aifecting  language : 

"  Lord,  behold  he  whom  thou  lovest  is  sick." 

But  he  sent  no  healing  word  back  again  :  nor  did  he  ap- 
pear disposed  himself  to  go  :  for  he  continued  still  two  days 
in  the  same  place.  Such  seeming  abandonment  in  their  dis- 
tress, of  those  who  had  showed  him  hospitality  so  often, 
might  very  well  excite  wonder  in  the  minds  of  the  disciples. 
This  family  were  among  the  few  of  his  open  and  avowed 
friends,  defying  the  edict  of  the  Sanhedrim :  but  he  seemed 
now  to  forsake  them  in  their  hour  of  pressing  need.  His 
remark,  when  the  message  from  Bethany  reached  him,  might 
appear  to  his  twelve  followers  to  have  even  a  tinge  of  self- 
ishness in  it :  "  This  sickness  is  not  unto  death,  but  for  the 
glory  of  God,  that  the  Son  of  God  might  be  glorified  there- 
by." They  watched  him  anxiously;  for  no  one  could  know 
that  family  at  Bethany,  as  they  did,  without  loving  them  ; 
but  still  there  was  no  message  thither ;  no  word  of  relief. 
Finally,  he  said : 

"  Our  friend  Lazarus  is  dead." 

The  disciples  were  shocked  and  distressed.  Just  so  had 
he  treated  John.  Was  this  treatment  of  nearest  friends  a 
sample  of  what  they  themselves  might  expect?  They  had 
rejoiced  in  his  supernatural  powers,  and  had  felt  that,  what- 


RAISING    OF  LAZARUS.  265 

ever  afflictions  might  come  upon  them,  they  had  a  friend  in 
their  Leader,  who  through  the  greatness  of  his  power  was 
equal  to  every  extremity.  But  was  this  case,  and  was  John's 
an  example  of  his  relief?  He  had  told  them  that  they 
should  be  persecuted  for  his  sake ;  and  had  drawn  many  a 
dark  picture  of  the  sufferings  they  were  to  endure ;  and  had 
called  upon  them  to  brace  themselves  up  for  endurance : 
what  then  ?  To  be  deserted  in  the  end  ?  They  had  always 
comprehended  his  meaning  imperfectly.  His  words  had  a 
mystical  sense  to  them,  containing  promises  of  final  victory 
and  rewards ;  but  all  these  promises  had  come  to  them 
darkly  and  were  but  half  understood.  His  present  kindness, 
goodness,  and  power  had  been  their  trust;  but  here  was  a 
manifestation  that  startled  them,  a  desertion  to  their  appre- 
hension of  a  beloved  friend  and  a  kind  family :  Lazarus  was 
dead ! 

In  the  meanwhile,  those  sisters  at  Bethany  had  watched 
by  the  bedside  of  the  dying  man ;  mingling  with  their  af- 
flictions, as  they  saw  life  ebbing  away,  many  a  discomfort- 
ing thought  of  him  who  might  so  easily  have  helped,  and 
did  not  help.  They  had  to  keep  this  grief  to  themselves ; 
for  they  could  not,  before  their  visitors  and  sympathizers  at 
the  bedside,  speak  words  that  might  seem  to  be  disparaging 
to  Christ,  or  containing  reproach :  and  these  thoughts  were 
all  the  more  corroding  and  heavy  because  they  had  to  be 
kept  hidden  within  their  hearts.  They  had  listened,  with 
painful  nervousness,  for  quick  footsteps  bringing  news  of  his 
coming :  none  came.  Hope  rose  at  every  unusual  sound  out 
by  the  door,  and  died  away,  and  rose  again ;  and  still  kept 
flickering  on,  as  the  life,  too,  was  flickering  there,  on  that  bed 
of  pain. 

All  in  vain  : — in  vain  ! 

The  blow  came  at  last.  They  had  been  cherishing  a 
double  hope,  both  of  Christ's  quick  presence,  and  his  word 
of  healing :  all  was  lost.  They  had  now  a  double  grief,  the 

23 


266     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

crushing  weight  from  their  brother's  death,  and  also  from 
that  apparent  neglect  by  one  whom  their  brother  and  they 
had  so  much  loved  and  trusted,  and  by  whom  he  might  have 
been,  but  was  not,  saved. 

They  buried  the  corpse  in  the  usual  manner ;  their  friends 
from  the  village  and  from  Jerusalem  condoling  with  them, 
and  giving  the  usual  loud  tokens  of  grief.  These  friends 
sometimes — and  the  sister  could  not  help  overhearing  them, 
if  indeed,  the  words  were  not  spoken  for  their  hearing — 
sometimes  wondered  why  Jesus  had  not  come  or  sent  help ; 
occasionally  intermingling  words  of  doubt  about  bis  power 
or  affection,  or  censures  for  his  neglect ;  but  the  sisters  had 
to  keep  their  own  thoughts  and  feelings  crushed  down  within 
themselves, — a  very  heavy  weight  on  their  already  over- 
burdened hearts. 

When  he  had  announced  the  death  of  Lazarus  to  the  dis- 
ciples he  had  added :  "  And  I  am  glad  for  your  sakes  that  I 
was  not  there,  to  the  intent  that  ye  may  believe ;  nevertheless 
let  us  go  unto  him." 

Thomas,  referring  doubtless  to  the  late  attempt  at  Jerusa- 
lem to  stone  him,  and  to  his  own  predictions  about  his  ap- 
proaching death,  said  to  the  other  disciples,  "  Let  us  also  go 
that  we  may  die  with  him."  They  now  proceeded  toward 
Bethany ;  by  slow  stages,  however,  for  they  were  four  days 
getting  to  that  town,  although  the  distance  was  not  very  great. 

Their  journey  was  in  the  winter  time,1  and  lay  across  that 
desolate  region  of  the  Wilderness  of  Judea,  always  gloomy, 
but  doubly  so  at  this  season  of  the  year.  As  the  apostles 
followed  the  Messiah  over  the  bleak,  cold  waste  they  had 
time  for  many  reflections,  and  their  reflections  might  well  be 
of  a  sombre  kind,  corresponding  to  the  scenes  around.  They 
had  left  home,  occupations,  domestic  comforts,  in  order  to 
follow  this  new  Master,  proclaimed  by  John  to  be  the  Son 


1  Just  after  the  Feast  of  Dedication. 


RAISING    OF  LAZARUS.  267 

of  God.  Bright  visions  of  earthly  glory  and  power  had  been 
flashing  before  them,  but  not  one  of  these  had  ever  yet  been 
realized.  On  the  contrary,  they  had  been  scoffed  at  by  the 
rulers  at  Jerusalem,  and  their  Master  himself  was  near  be- 
ing stoned  in  the  very  temple  by  the  agents  of  the  Sanhe- 
drim. He  had  miraculous  powers  undoubtedly,  but  he 
never  exercised  them  for  any  aggrandizement  of  himself 
and  followers,  as  may  have  been  their  chief  expectations  in 
leaving  all  to  follow  him.  He  had  just  been  telling  them 
what  they  might  expect  in  future.  Honors,  power,  glory, 
rank?  No,  but  stripes,  persecutions,  hatred,  and  death  by 
violence.  He  had  promised  them  comfort  from  on  high, 
and  had  given  assurance  of  his  help ;  but  here  was  Lazarus, 
the  beloved  friend,  neglected  in  his  need  and  now  dead. 
What,  as  respected  themselves  in  the  dreary  prospect  of  the 
future  ? — more  dreary  far  than  this  utter  desolation  of  na- 
ture around  them,  the  crumbling,  chalky  cliffs,  the  shelter- 
less wastes,  the  sharp,  biting  winds,  the  wintry  skies,  frown- 
ing down  on  the  wide,  bleak  scene  below. 

They  drew  their  garments  around  them,  their  hearts  more 
gloomy  than  the  skies  or  the  wastes  of  the  wilderness ;  and 
so  they  travelled  over  those  long  miles,  till  at  last  they  came 
in  sight  of  Bethany,  no  cheerful  greeting  however  awaiting 
them  now  as  in  the  former  times. 

The  Messiah  did  not  enter  the  town  at  once,  but  remained 
on  its  outskirts ;  intelligence,  however,  was  immediately  car- 
ried to  Martha,  one  of  the  sisters,  that  he  had  come.  She 
hurried  out,  and  that  deep  additional  grief  as  of  a  felt  ne- 
glect broke  out  before  him  : 

"  Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here  my  brother  had  not  died." 
She  added,  "  But  I  know,  that  even  now,  whatsoever  thou  wilt 
ask  of  God,  God  will  give  it  thee."  He  said : 

"  Thy  brother  shall  rise  again  ;"  and  she  replied  : 

"  I  know  that  he  shall  rise  again  in  the  resurrection  at  the 
last  day." 


268     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

"  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life ;  he  that  believeth  in 
me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live;  and  whosoever 
liveth  and  believeth  in  ine  shall  never  die.  Believest  thou 
this?" 

"  Yea,  Lord ;  I  believe  that  thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son 
of  God,  which  should  come  into  the  world." 

Leaving  him  there  she  hurried  back  to  her  sister  Mary 
with  the  news : 

"  The  Master  is  come  and  calleth  for  thee." 

The  lamentation  on  such  occasions  lasted  eight  days,  and 
there  were  many  mourners  and  sympathizers  in  the  house, 
who  seeing  Mary  rise  hastily  and  go  out  followed  her,  say- 
ing:— 

"  She  goeth  unto  the  grave  to  weep  there." 

Hurrying  on,  the  whole  company  of  visitors  came  imme- 
diately in  front  of  the  Messiah,  and  found  Mary  at  his  feet, 
where  she  also^had  let  out  her  bitter  grief  in  the  same  cry 
as  that  of  Martha. 

"  Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here  my  brother  had  not  died." 

The  company  around  joined  their  weeping  with  hers.  The 
Messiah  was  convulsed  with  strong  emotions  in  his  deep 
sympathies  with  human  griefs,  for  this  scene  was  but  a  sam- 
ple of  what  is  ever  occurring  in  our  world.  He  asked : 

"Where  have  ye  laid  him?" 

"  Lord,  come  and  see." 

"  Jesus  wept." 

"  Behold,"  said  the  company,  "  how  he  loved  him."  Some 
of  them  asked : 

"  Could  not  this  man,  which  opened  the  eyes  of  the  blind, 
have  caused  that  even  this  man  should  not  have  died?" 

Again  as  they  were  advancing  toward  the  tomb  came  over 
him  that  convulsion  of  grief.  There  could  be  no  longer  a 
doubt  in  the  mind  of  any  one,  of  his  affection  for  Lazarus, 
and  of  his  deep  sympathies  in  the  distress  before  him ;  and 
the  feelings  of  the  sisters,  if  any  doubts  had  crept  into  them, 


RAISING   OF  LAZARUS.  269 

were  fully  satisfied.  In  silence  they  reached  presently  the 
place  where  the  body  had  been  interred — a  cave  with  a  stone 
in  front  closing  the  entrance.  The  mourners  were  thinking 
of  the  gloom  and  desolation  within,  the  horror  of  that  aban- 
donment by  the  world  to  corruption  and  the  worm,  when 
the  silence  was  broken  by  Christ's  ordering  the  stone  to  be 
taken  away.  Martha  interposed  a  remonstrance  that  by  this 
time  the  body  must  be  offensive,  for  it  had  now  been  there 
four  days ;  but  he  replied : 

"  Said  I  not  unto  thee,  that  if  thou  wouldest  believe,  thou 
shouldest  see  the  glory  of  God  ?" 

The  scene  changed  immediately,  for  now  every  one  sup- 
posed that  there  was  some  strange  demonstration  at  hand. 
The  solemnity  of  mourning  and  the  wailing  cries  ceased, 
crowds  pressed  forward,  a  low  murmur  of  voices  went  among 
them:  "What  was  meant?  Corruption  had  advanced  in 
the  body,  death's  work  had  been  fully  sealed  by  decay,  all 
power  now  seemed  to  be  in  vain.  What  would  he  attempt?" 
The  mourners  at  Bethany,  from  Jerusalem,  seemed  to  have 
been  from  the  higher  classes,1  and  strange  feelings  were 
at  work  in  their  hearts,  some  of  these  not  friendly  to  Christ. 
But  curiosity  was  uppermost. 

By  this  time  the  stone  had  been  rolled  away.  They  could 
see  within  where  the  dim  light  half  revealed  the  scene  in 
which  death  held  his  fearful  rule ;  the  silence  and  gloom  all 
made  more  impressive  by  the  deeply  earnest  life-scene  at  the 
mouth  of  the  cave.  For  solemnity  had  given  place  to  in- 
tense curiosity,  and  the  agitated  faces  of  the  crowd  showed  the 
fulness  of  their  emotions ;  every  lineament  drawn  into  the 
utmost  tension  of  expectancy.  The  company  tried  to  read 
in  the  face  of  the  Messiah  his  intentions,  or  they  peered  into 
the  entrance  of  the  tomb,  all  so  quiet  and  death-like  there. 


1  See  John  xi.  31,  33,  36  and  45,  in  connection  with  John's  distinction 
between  "the  Jews"  and  "the  people,"  in  vii.  12,  13. 
23* 


270     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

Christ's  features  still  showed  the  marks  of  his  recent  strong 
emotions,  but  his  face,  though  sad  in  its  deep  sympathies, 
had  yet  on  it  the  grandeur  of  power  and  command. 

The  first  commotion  from  this  expectancy  ceased,  and  was 
succeeded  by  a  painful  silence  among  the  crowd.  They 
gazed  on  Christ ;  and  when  his  lips  now  opened,  their  hearts 
throbbed  as  if  about  to  burst  in  their  emotion.  But  it  was 
not  as  they  expected.  It  was  in  prayer. 

"  Father,  I  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  heard  me.  And  I 
know  that  thou  hearest  me  always :  but  because  of  the  peo- 
ple which  stand  by  I  said  it,  that  they  may  believe  that  thou 
hast  sent  me." 

Turning  then  to  the  grave,  he  said  in  a  loud  voice, — 

"  Lazarus,  come  forth !" 

There  was  a  sound  in  the  cave,  where  all  had  just  been 
in  that  stillness  of  death ;  a  rustling,  as  of  a  movement 
there ;  a  further  noise  of  motion ;  and  Lazarus  presently 
stood  before  the  gazing,  excited,  frightened,  shrinking  throng; 
his  body  still  swathed,  as  customary  with  the  dead,  and  a 
napkin  bound  over  his  face.  This  was  removed ;  and  the 
features,  though  shrunken  and  emaciated  by  the  disease, 
were  full  of  life.  The  sisters  had  their  loved  brother  again  ! 

The  feelings  of  the  crowd  had  been  worked  up  to  such  a 
pitch  of  tension  that  it  seemed  as  if  their  nature  could 
scarcely  have  stood  the  trial  of  that  scene  much  longer ;  but 
now  they  breathed  freely  again,  and  their  full  hearts  found 
vent,  some  in  tones  of  joy,  some  in  praises  and  thanksgiv- 
ings, and  in  congratulations  to  the  family  and  to  Lazarus 
himself.  Some  of  them  turned  wondering,  glad,  and  be- 
lieving eyes  on  the  Messiah  himself,  and  received  full  faith 
in  him  into  their  own  hearts,  with  a  reverence  and  affection 
that  filled  them  with  new  and  thrilling  joys.  Some  went 
straight  to  the  Pharisees  to  tell  them  what  had  been  done. 

In  Jerusalem  there  was  a  commotion  in  consequence.  The 
news  of  the  miracle,  the  most  wonderful  that  could  be  per- 


IN  EPHRAIM  AND  PEREA.  2jl 

formed,  spread  rapidly  over  the  city ;  and  the  members  of 
the  Sanhedrim  were  called  together,  much  puzzled,  and  now 
greatly  alarmed. 

"What  do  we?"  or,  "What  shall  we  do?"  they  said  ; 
"  for  this  man  doeth  many  miracles.  If  we  let  him  thus 
alone,  all  men  will  believe  on  him;  and  the  Romans  will 
come  and  take  away  both  our  place  and  nation." 

But  Caiaphas,  then  high  priest,  relieved  them  from  their 
dilemma  by  declaring  authoritatively  : 

"  Ye  know  nothing  at  all,  nor  consider  that  it  is  expe- 
dient that  one  man  should  die  for  the  people,  and  that  the 
whole  nation  perish  not." 

They  took  him  at  his  word,  prophetic  and  not  fully  un- 
derstood even  by  himself;  and  from  that  day  forth  "  they 
took  council  together  for  to  put  him  to  death."1  They  be- 
lieved that  Christ  or  themselves  must  perish:  and  the  man- 
ner in  which  his  fame  was  spreading,  and  the  astounding 
nature  of  his  miracles  gave  them,  now,  but  a  little  time 
for  choice. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
IN  EPHRAIM  AND  PEREA. 

THE  site  of  Ephraim,  the  city  to  which  the  Messiah  re- 
tired with  his  disciples  after  raising  Lazarus,  and  the 
determination  of  the  Sanhedrim  in  consequence,2  is  not  fully 
known  at  present,  but  is  supposed  to  have  been  where  el- 
Taiyibeh   is  now  situated.     This  is  a  town  twenty  miles 


i  John  xi.  1-53.  2  John  xi.  54. 


272      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

N.  N.  East  of  Jerusalem,  and  on  such  a  lofty  eminence  as  to 
overlook  portions  of  the  wilderness  of  Judea,  adjacent  to  it 
on  the  east,  and  also  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  with  part  of 
Perea  beyond  the  river.  From  this  he  made  visits  to  the 
neighboring  country,  and  also  extensive  journeys  through 
Perea;  but  there  is  some  obscurity  attending  this  part  of  our 
Saviour's  life.  Doubtless  it  was  active ;  and  critics  place, 
during  these  few  months,  the  healing  of  the  infirm  woman 
in  a  synagogue,  exciting  the  indignation  of  the  rulers  of  that 
place  of  worship,  because  it  was  done  on  their  Sabbath-day.1 
On  another  occasion  he  was  dining  with  a  Pharisee  on  the 
Sabbath,  when  a  similar  case  occurred.  The  hospitalities 
of  the  house  were  no  safeguard  against  the  machinations  of 
his  enemies,  and  "  they  watched  him."2  A  man  afflicted 
with  dropsy  was  brought  there,  perhaps  in  order  to  produce 
results  on  which  the  Pharisees  and  lawyers  who  were  also 
guests,  might  bring  against  him  a  charge  of  violating  the 
Sabbath.  He  knew  their  thoughts,  and  said,  "  Is  it  lawful 
to  heal  on  the  Sabbath  day  ?"  They  considered  it  best  to 
be  silent ;  and  taking  the  man,  he  healed  him,  and  sent  him 
away;  saying  to  the  company,  in  the  same  strain  with  which 
he  had  recently  silenced  the  rulers  in  the  synagogue : 
"  Which  of  you  shall  have  an  ass  or  an  ox  fallen  into  a  pit 
and  will  not  straightway  pull  him  out  on  the  Sabbath- day  ?"3 
The  people  rejoiced  at  "  the  glorious  things  done  by  him." 

The  Messiah  observed  the  jealous  eagerness  of  the  guests 
to  have  the  places  of  highest  honor  at  the  feast;  and  he 
gave  them  on  this  occasion  some  admonitions  on  the  subject, 
ending  with  the  declaration,  "  For  whosoever  exalteth  him- 
self shall  be  abased ;  and  he  that  humbleth  himself  shall 
be  exalted."  Then,  turning  to  his  host,  he  added,  in  a 
similar  strain : 

"  When  thou  makest  a  dinner  or  a  supper,  call  not  thy 


1  Luke  xiii.  10-17.  3  Luke  xiv.  1.  8  Luke  xiv.  5. 


IN  EPHRA1M  AND  PEREA.  273 

friends,  nor  thy  brethren,  neither  thy  kinsmen,  nor  thy 
rich  neighbors ;  lest  they  also  bid  thee  again  and  a  recom- 
pense be  made  thee.  But  when  thou  makest  a  feast,  call  the 
poor,  the  maimed,  the  lame,  and  the  blind ;  and  thou  shalt 
be  blessed ;  for  they  cannot  recompense  thee ;  for  thou  shalt 
be  recompensed  at  the  resurrection  of  the  just." 

We  have  next,  in  these  journeyings,  a  scene  altogether 
characteristic ;  and  with  it  some  parables,  which  have  ever 
since  been  food  to  the  souls  of  men  wherever  they  have 
been  heard. 

We  are  told,  "Then  drew  near  unto  him  all  the  publicans 
and  sinners  for  to  hear  him.  And  the  Pharisees  and  Scribes 
murmured,  saying,  This  man  receiveth  sinners  and  eateth 
with  them."  The  Jewish  Rabbis  stalked  with  a  lordly  step 
among  those  of  inferior  degree;  they  felt  it  necessary  to 
sustain  their  reputed  sanctity  by  a  distance  of  manner,  and 
by  the  exclusiveness  of  caste :  but  it  was  not  so  with  Christ. 

Therefore  we  may  readily  imagine  with  what  feelings  of 
attachment,  as  well  as  of  wonder,  the  multitudes  followed 
him ;  gazed  upon  those  features  so  divine  in  their  expression ; 
felt  attracted  by  that  Presence  which  seemed  not  to  be  of 
earth,  not  awed  into  a  fear  of  approaching ;  and  listened  to  his 
words,  so  different  in  their  meaning,  and  in  the  tone  in 
which  they  were  uttered,  from  anything  else  which  they  had 
ever  before  heard. 

We  also  who  have  followed  him  through  so  many  scenes 
where  angry  passions  were  raging  tumultuously  about  him, 
may  find  it  a  relief  to  sit  down  now  and  listen  quietly  to 
his  biessed  words. 

"What  man  of  you,"  he  said,  "having  an  hundred  sheep, 
if  he  lose  one  of  them,  doth  not  leave  the  ninety  and  nine  in 
the  wilderness,  and  go  after  that  which  is  lost,  until  he  find 
it?  And  when  he  hath  found  it,  he  layeth  it  on  his  shoul- 
ders, rejoicing.  And  when  he  cometh  home,  he  calleth 
together  his  friends  and  neighbors,  saying  unto  them,  Re- 


274      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

joice  with  me ;  for  I  have  found  my  sheep  which  was  lost. 
I  say  unto  you,  that  likewise  joy  shall  be  in  heaven  over 
one  sinner  that  repenteth,  more  than  over  ninety  and  nine 
just  persons,  which  need  no  repentance. 

"  Either  what  woman  having  ten  pieces  of  silver,  if  she 
lose  one  piece,  doth  not  light  a  candle,  and  sweep  the  house, 
and  seek  diligently  till  she  find  it?  And  when  she  hath 
found  it,  she  calleth  her  friends  and  her  neighbors  together, 
saying,  Rejoice  with  me;  for  I  have  found  the  piece  which  I 
had  lost.  Likewise,  I  say  unto  you,  there  is  joy  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  angels  of  God  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth. 

"And  he  said,  A  certain  man  had  two  sons;  and  the 
younger  of  them  said  to  his  father,  Father,  give  me  the 
portion  of  goods  that  falleth  to  me.  And  he  divided  unto 
them  his  living.  And  not  many  days  after,  the  younger  son 
gathered  all  together,  and  took  his  journey  into  a  far  country, 
and  there  wasted  his  substance  with  riotous  living.  And 
when  he  had  spent  all,  there  arose  a  mighty  famine  in  that 
land ;  and  he  began  to  be  in  want.  And  he  went  and  joined 
himself  to  a  citizen  of  that  country ;  and  he  sent  him  into 
his  fields  to  feed  swine.  And  he  would  fain  have  filled  his 
belly  with  the  husks1  that  the  swine  did  eat;  and  no  man 
gave  unto  him.  And  when  he  came  to  himself,  he  said, 
How  many  hired  servants  of  my  father's  have  bread  enough 
and  to  spare,  and  I  perish  with  hunger !  I  will  arise  and 
go  to  my  father,  and  will  say  unto  him,  Father,  I  have 


1  It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  in  our  English  version  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, this  word  (Kepariuv)  is  thus  translated.  It  should  have  been  pods, 
and  refers  to  the  fruit  of  the  carob,  a  tree  frequently  to  be  seen  in  those 
countries.  In  Cyprus  there  are  large  orchards  of  them,  and  the  fruit  is 
there  fed  largely  to  the  swine.  It  grows  in  pods  from  six  to  ten  inches 
in  length,  resembling  those  of  our  honey-locust,  lined  inside  with  a  ge- 
latinous substance.  The  tree  (ceratonia  siliqua  of  Linnaeus)  is  an  ever- 
green, and  resembles  our  apple-trees,  though  more  bushy  and  thick-set 
and  with  longer  leaves,  of  darker  green :  in  Cyprus  it  produces  very 
abundantly,  but  through  Palestine  in  smaller  quantities. 


IN  EPHRAIM  AND  PEREA.  275 

sinned  against  heaven,  and  before  thee,  and  am  no  more 
worthy  to  be  called  thy  son :  make  me  as  one  of  thy  hired 
servants.  And  he  arose,  and  came  to  his  father.  But  when 
he  was  yet  a  great  way  off,  his  father  saw  him,  and  had 
compassion,  and  ran,  and  fell  on  his  neck,  and  kissed  him. 
And  the  son  said  unto  him,  Father,  I  have  sinned  against 
heaven,  and  in  thy  sight,  and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be 
called  thy  son.  But  the  father  said  to  his  servants,  Bring 
forth  the  best  robe,  and  put  it  on  him ;  and  put  a  ring  on 
his  hand,  and  shoes  on  his  feet :  and  bring  hither  the  fatted 
calf,  and  kill  it ;  and  let  us  eat,  and  be  merry :  for  this  my 
son  was  dead,  and  is  alive  again ;  he  was  lost,  and  is  found. 
And  they  began  to  be  merry.  Now  his  elder  son  was  in 
the  field :  and  as  he  came  and  drew  nigh  to  the  house,  he 
heard  music  and  dancing.  And  he  called  one  of  the  ser- 
vants, and  asked  what  these  things  meant.  And  he  said 
unto  him,  Thy  brother  is  come ;  and  thy  father  hath  killed 
the  fatted  calf,  because  he  hath  received  him  safe  and  sound. 
And  he  was  angry,  and  would  not  go  in :  therefore  came  his 
father  out,  and  entreated  him.  And  he  answering  said  to 
his  father,  Lo,  these  many  years  do  I  serve  thee,  neither 
transgressed  I  at  any  time  thy  commandment :  and  yet  thou 
never  gavest  me  a  kid,  that  I  might  make  merry  with  my 
friends :  but  as  soon  as  this  thy  son  was  come,  which  hath 
devoured  thy  living  with  harlots,  thou  hast  killed  for  him 
the  fatted  calf.  And  he  said  unto  him,  Son,  thou  art  ever 
with  me,  and  all  that  I  have  is  thine.  It  was  meet  that  we 
should  make  merry,  and  be  glad ;  for  this  thy  brother  was 
dead,  and  is  alive  again ;  and  was  lost,  and  is  found."  The 
whole  of  this  beautiful  parable  has  individual,  personal 
application;  but  probably,  at  the  close  of  it,  we  are  to  under- 
stand the  Jewish  feeling  at  the  incoming  of  the  Gentiles. 

This  period  during  the  Messiah's  last  retirement  from 
Jerusalem — spent  probably  chiefly  in  Perea,  in  order  to 
deepen  the  instructions  by  the  seventy — abounds  in  parables 


276      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

ancf  practical  admonitions ;  among  the  former,  that  of  the 
Rich  Man  and  Lazarus,  and  also  one  showing  to  every  per- 
son who  feels  himself  to  be  a  lost  sinner,  how  he  must 
approach  to  God. 

"  Two  men  went  up  into  the  temple  to  pray :  the  one  a 
Pharisee,  the  other  a  publican.  The  Pharisee  stood  and 
prayed  thus  within  himself,  God,  I  thank  thee  that  I  am 
not  as  other  men  are,  extortioners,  unjust,  or  even  as  this 
publican.  I  fast  twice  in  a  week,  I  give  tithes  of  all  I  pos- 
sess. And  the  publican,  standing  afar  off,  would  not  lift 
up  so  much  as  his  eyes  unto  heaven,  but  smote  upon  his 
breast,  saying,  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner.  I  tell  you, 
this  man  went  down  to  his  house  justified  rather  than  the 
other ;  for  every  one  that  exalteth  himself  shall  be  abased  : 
and  he  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted." 

A  scene  occurred  during  this  visit  to  Perea,  which  paint- 
ers have  often  endeavored  to  exhibit  on  canvass,  but  which 
is  far  beyond  the  powers  of  art  to  reach.  It  is  easy  to  por- 
tray man  in  the  coarser  passions,  and  grosser  exhibitions  of 
his  nature :  but  the  more  any  individual  rises  into  the  true 
heaven-like  nobility  of  soul ;  and  the  grand  thoughts  and 
great  emotions  of  such  nobility  show  through  the  eyes  and 
take  expression  on  the  face,  the  more  the  act  of  copying 
verges  upon  the  impossible.  Who  then  can  paint  the 
Messiah,  in  any  scene,  but  especially  in  that  to  which  we 
now  refer? 

It  was  that  of  his  receiving  the  little  children  brought  to 
him  in  order  that  "  he  might  put  his  hands  on  them  and 
pray."  His  disciples  rebuked  those  who  brought  them,  but 
lie  checked  them : 

"Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  me  and  forbid 
them  not ;  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God.  Verily  I 
say  unto  you,  whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of 
God  as  a  little  child,  he  shall  not  enter  therein." 


IN  EPHRAIM  AND  PEREA.  277 

He  took  them  up  in  his  arms  and  put  his  hands  on  them 
and  blessed  them.1 

His  kindly,  genial  feeling  toward  children,  and  the  man- 
ner in  which  he  attracted  them  toward  himself,  form  one  of 
the  most  pleasing  characteristics  of  his  ministry  on  earth. 
Often  we  are  lost  in  wonder,  and  often  we  are  awed  by  the 
incidents  of  this  ministry,  but  there  is  a  charm  to  all  our 
finer  feelings  of  admiration  and  love  as  we  observe  the  chil- 
dren clustering  about  his  knees,  and  see  from  all  those  scenes 
how  strong  must  have  been  the  sympathy  in  them  toward 
him  and  in  him  toward  them.  He  speaks  of  their  likeness 
to  the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  he  tells  us  that  unless  we  be- 
come humble  like  a  child,  have  its  full,  unquestioning  love 
and  confidence,  but  in  our  case  toward  God,  the  humble 
yielding  up  of  ourselves  to  Him,  as  children  give  themselves 
into  their  parents'  arms,  we  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God. 
The  oldest  of  us  are  indeed  scarcely  more  than  infants  in 
the  wide  stretch  of  our  existence. 

The  greatest  men  are  more  frequently  than  otherwise  noted 
for  a  childlike  simplicity  of  manners,  and  Coleridge  says, 
"  Men  of  true  genius  give  themselves  up  to  the  first  simple 
impressions  of  common  things.  They  are  content  to  won- 
der and  smile  and  admire,  just  as  they  did  when  they  were 
children ;  it  is  the  opening  of  the  heart  to  all  sweet  influ- 
ences." 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  things  in  the  world  is  a  person 
mature  in  years,  but  still  keeping  the  heart  fresh  as  in  early 
life.  Individuals  may  sometimes  be  seen  even  of  advanced 
age,  but  with  feelings  all  genial  and  kind  and  responsive,  in 
their  heart-life  never  growing  old.  But  such  persons  are 
rare.  The  writer  of  this  work  has  had  the  happiness  to 
number  among  his  intimate  friends  one  of  this  class,  a  per- 
son (lately  deceased)  of  the  highest  scientific  reputation 


1  Matt.  xiz.  13-15;  Mark  x.  13-16. 


278      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

abroad  as  well  as  at  home,  but  more  remarkable  still  for 
carrying  the  bloom  and  freshness  of  life  even  beyond  his 
eightieth  year.  He  loved  children,  and  they  always  loved 
him. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 
JERICHO. 

A  STRANGER  travelling  in  the  times  of  our  Saviour, 
-£*-  eastwardly  from  Bethany  along  the  high-road  already 
described,  would,  after  five  or  six  hours  spent  in  crossing 
that  dreary  Wilderness  of  Judea,  be  then  startled  by  a  view 
as  if  some  sudden  enchantment  had  operated  upon  his  sight. 
Standing  on  a  hill-top,  all  around  him  as  bare  as  barrenness 
itself  can  be,  he  would  now  look  directly  down  on  one  of  the 
most  verdant  and  most  perfectly  beautiful  spots  on  the  face 
of  the  globe,  a  mass  of  deepest  and  thickest  verdure,  a  gar- 
den-like place  twelve  miles  or  more  in  length  by  seven  in 
width,  all  in  the  highest  cultivation ;  palms,  the  most  beau- 
tiful and  graceful  of  trees  ever  seen  in  any  country,  waving 
their  feathery  tops  as  in  groups  or  singly  all  over  the  land- 
scape they  rose  high  above  other  trees  of  great  variety  and 
beauty;  a  large  city  also  with  signs  of  wealth  about  it, 
palaces,  a  castle  for  defence,  a  hippodrome,  an  amphitheatre, 
villages  and  scattered  dwellings  amid  the  unbroken  garden, 
fountains  and  rivulets  gleaming  in  the  sunshine,  a  river  mean- 
dering along  the  farther  edge  of  this  vast  plain,  beyond  the 
river  a  narrow  plain  backed  with  a  range  of  lofty  moun- 
tains, and  on  the  right  a  lake  or  sea  stretching  on  till  hid  by 
some  mountain  spurs. 


JERICHO.  279 

The  plain  was  that  of  Jericho  ;  the  city  was  one  called  by 
the  same  name ;  the  river,  the  Jordan ;  the  wide  expanse  of 
water,  the  Dead  Sea ;  the  mountains  on  the  east,  the  range 
of  Nebo,  Moses'  place  of  mysterious  burial  by  unseen  hands. 

Even  now,  although  almost  entirely  forsaken  and  lying 
waste,  this  plain  of  Jericho  still  breaks  most  agreeably  on 
the  traveller's  eyes,  so  long  blinded  by  the  glare  from  the 
white  hills  of  the  Wilderness.  What  then  must  it  have 
been  in  those  days  we  are  speaking  of  when  Jericho  was 
among  Jewish  cities  exceeded  in  size  only  by  Jerusalem,  and 
when  the  plain  was  the  pride  and  boast  of  all  the  nation  for 
its  fertility,  its  extraordinary  productions,  and  its  climate 
(called  "  Egyptian")  seeming  in  temperature  as  if  some  choice 
spot  of  an  intertropical  country  with  its  heat  had  been  taken 
up  and  set  down  here  in  a  region  entirely  different !  This 
tropical  nature  of  the  climate  made  the  place  a  favorite  re- 
treat in  winter  for  those  who  might  wish  to  escape  from  the 
bleakness  of  the  "  Hill  Country"  of  Judea,  and  of  the  capi- 
tal itself. 

The  conformation  of  the  ground  here  is  singular.  It 
looks  as  if  an  immense  region  had  been  scooped  out  of  the 
general  natural  elevation  in  that  country,  making  room  for 
a  great  plain,  for  a  sea,  and  for  a  river,  all  sunk  down  to  an 
unnatural  depth.  The  Dead  Sea,  to  which  the  southern  end 
of  this  plain  extends,  has  its  surface  1312  feet  below  that  of 
the  Mediterranean,1  and  therefore  a  traveller  coming  from 
the  "  Hill  Country"  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  equally  elevated 
grounds  of  the  "  Wilderness,"  seems  here  to  descend  into  a 
chasm  in  the  earth,  which  indeed  is  really  the  case.  Yet  in 
this  chasm  flows  the  Jordan  to  discharge  itself  here  into  that 
sluggish  lake;  and  the  plain  of  Jericho  which  at  its  southern 
end  borders  on  the  Dead  Sea,  has  but  a  small  elevation  above 
the  stream.  Travelling  on  this  plain  toward  the  river  we 


Stanley's  Sinai  and  Palestine. 


280     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

come,  on  approaching  it,  to  a  descent  of  fifty  or  sixty  feet;  then 
there  is  again  a  level  for  a  short  space,  and  then  about  six 
feet  below  is  the  Jordan  fringed  with  willows  and  rushes, 
its  width  here  from  eighty  to  a  hundred  feet,  its  depth  ten 
or  twelve,  and  its  current  very  strong.1 

The  great  depth  of  this  plain  with  the  reflection  of  the 
sun  upon  it  from  the  bare  surrounding  hills,  will  account 
for  its  tropical  growth  of  plants  and  trees.  The  palm  grew 
here  in  such  luxuriance  that  in  the  days  of  Moses  (Deut. 
xxxiv.  3),  Jericho  was  already  designated  as  the  "  city  of 
palm  trees."  Josephus  speaks  of  the  palms  in  his  day,  as 
being  "  of  many  sorts  different  from  each  other  in  taste  and 
name ;"  and  adds :  "  The  better  sort  of  them  yield  an  ex- 
cellent kind  of  honey,  not  much  inferior  in  sweetness  to 
other  honey.  This  country  will  produce  honey  from  bees : 
it  also  bears  the  balsam,  which  is  the  most  precious  of  all 
the  fruits  in  that  place ;  cypress  trees  also,  and  those  that 
bear  the  myro-balsam;  so  that  he  who  should  pronounce 
this  place  to  be  divine,  would  not  be  mistaken,  wherein  is 
such  plenty  of  trees  produced  as  are  very  rare  and  of  the 
most  excellent  sort.  And  indeed,  if  we  speak  of  those  other 
fruits,  it  will  not  be  easy  to  light  on  any  climate  on  the  hab- 
itable earth,  that  can  well  be  compared  to  it, — what  is  here 
sown  comes  up  in  such  clusters :  the  cause  of  which  seems 
to  me  to  be  the  warmth  of  the  air,  and  the  fertility  of  the 
waters ;  the  warmth  calling  forth  the  sprouts  and  making 
them  spread,  and  the  moisture  making  every  one  of  them 
take  root  firmly,  and  supply  that  virtue  which  it  stands  in 
need  of  in  summer  time/52  He  adds :  "  The  ambient  air  is 
here,  also,  of  so  good  a  temperature,  that  the  people  of  the 
country  are  clothed  in  linen  only,  even  when  snow  covers 
the  rest  of  Judea." 

Herod  the  Great  had  built  there  a  palace  for  himself, 


1  Eobinson.  2  Bel.  iv.  8,  |  3. 


JERICHO.  281 

which  was  afterwards  repaired  and  ornamented  with  great 
splendor  by  Archelaus  :  also  an  amphitheatre  and  a  hippo- 
drome, and  on  a- spur  of  mountain  overlooking  the  city,  a 
citadel,  and  in  it  a  very  fine  and  strong  building  dedicated 
to  his  mother,  and  called  Cypros.1 

This  hippodrome  came  by-and-by,  to  have  a  strange  his- 
tory connected  with  it,  one  of  the  most  singular  in  all  the 
records  of  purposed  crime.  For  Herod,  when  that  dreadful 
disease  which  ended  his  life  was  growing  upon  him,  and  he 
found  that  he  must  die,  determined  that  there  should  be,  by 
compulsion,  a  general  mourning  throughout  Judea  at  his 
death.  He  ordered  the  principal  men  of  the  Jewish  nation 
to  assemble  at  Jericho :  and  when  they  had  come,  had  them 
shut  up  in  the  hippodrome.  He  now  sent  for  his  sister  and 
her  husband,  and  laid  before  them  his  plan,  which  was  that, 
at  his  decease,  his  soldiers  should  be  let  loose  upon  these 
men,  and  all  of  them  should  be  put  to  death,  in  order  that 
"  the  whole  nation  should  mourn  from  their  very  soul,  which 
otherwise  would  be  done  in  sport  and  mockery  only.  So" 
continues  Josephus,  "  he  deplored  his  condition  with  tears 
in  his  eyes,  and  obtested  them  by  the  kindness  owed  from 
them  as  his  kindred,  and  by  the  faith  they  owed  to  God, 
and  begged  of  them  that  they  would  not  hinder  him  of  this 
honorable  mourning  at  his  funeral.  So  they  promised  him 
not  to  transgress  his  commands."2  His  orders,  however, 
through  the  mercy  of  the  intended  executioners,  were  not 
carried  into  eifect,  which  Josephus  says,  was  considered 
as  a  great  "  benefit"  by  the  nation. 

It  is  difficult  to  determine  the  northern  limits  of  the 
plain  of  Jericho ;  but  it  is  about  twelve  miles  from  north  to 
south,  and  seven  in  width. 

The  soil  is  described  by  Kobinson  as  of  extreme  fertility, 
which  was  in  those  ancient  times  assisted  widely  by  large 


1  Bel.  i.  2,  \  9.  »  Antq.  xvii.  6,  2  5. 

24  * 


282      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

and  copious  fountains,  most  of  which  still  remain.  About 
four  miles  from  the  Jordan,  is  the  fountain  called  now  Ain 
Hagila,  three-and-a-half  feet  deep  and  of  purest  water, 
sending  forth  a  stream  which  waters  the  whole  plain  below.1 
To  the  northwest  of  this,  and  also  in  the  plain,  is  Ain  es 
Sultan,  bursting  forth  from  the  foot  of  a  group  of  mounds 
which  probably  designate  the  site  of  the  Jericho  of  Joshua's 
time,  which  seems  after  its  destruction  at  that  period  never 
to  have  been  rebuilt.  This  gives  a  supply  of  sweet  water 
"  which  runs  off  through  the  plain  in  a  stream  twenty  feet 
wide,  and  from  eighteen  inches  to  two  feet  deep,  and  after- 
wards divides  into  many  little  rivulets/'2  used  for  irrigation  : 
and  three  miles  northwest  from  this,  is  the  still  larger  foun- 
tain of  Duk,  with  a  stream  sufficient  in  volume  to  have  for- 
merly turned  mills,  ruins  of  which  are  now  on  its  banks.3 
In  addition  to  this,  there  have  been  lately  discovered  por- 
tions of  an  immense  reservoir,  formed  by  damming  up  the 
waters  of  a  valley  (Wady  Kelt]  having  its  outlet  into  the 
plain  on  its  western  side,  near  the  opening  of  which  valley 
is  supposed  to  have  stood  the  Jericho  of  our  Saviour's  time.4 
Of  the  numerous  artificial  channels,  elaborately  constructed 
for  the  distribution  of  all  these  waters,  there  are  still  exten- 
sive remains. 

Bordering  northwardly  on  the  Wady  Kelt,  and  just  over 
this  supposed  site  of  the  ancient  city,  is  the  Mount  Quaran- 
tana,  standing  out  quite  distinct  from  all  the  other  bare 
hills,  which,  by  their  semi-circular  sweep  towards  the  west 
make  room  for  this  plain. 

To  a  person  standing  on  the  plain  in  the  morning,  and 
looking  southwardly,  a  heavy  fog  in  that  direction  usually 
shuts  out  all  objects  from  the  sight ;  but,  as  the  sun  gets 
higher  in  the  sky,  the  mists  roll  heavily  away,  and  that 


1  Robinson.  2  Durbin's  Observations  in  the  East. 

'  Eobinson.  *  Ibid. 


JERICHO.  283 

strange  phenomenon,  the  Dead  Sea,  lies  all  exposed.  The 
Jordan  pours  its  waters  into  this  sea,  and  there  they  are  lost; 
there  is  no  outlet  to  it,  no  life  in  it :  every  living  thing  that 
enters  it  dies ;  the  wind  sometimes  ruffles  the  water,  but  the 
sullen,  lead-like  waves  fall  without  any  glad  murmur  upon 
the  shore,  and  the  surface  soon  subsides  again  to  its  dull  ap- 
pearance as  of  some  immovable  molten  substance.  When 
earthquakes  shake  the  country  around,  there  come  up,  from 
the  depths  of  this  sea,  huge  masses  of  asphaltum  which  float 
towards  the  shore,  as  if  they  might  be  dark  messages  of 
woe  from  the  cities  sunk  beneath.  A  fruit  growing  by  this 
sea,  though  fair  to  the  eye,  is  found  when  bitten  into,  to  be 
composed  of  a  film  for  the  exterior,  inside  of  which  are  only 
dry  filaments  and  dust.  An  adventurous  traveller  some 
years  ago,  launched  a  boat  upon  this  sea,  determined  on  ex- 
plorations :  he  was  found  a  few  days  afterwards,  on  its 
banks,  gasping  and  exhausted ;  was  taken  to  Jerusalem,  but 
scarcely  lived  to  reach  the  city;  the  memory  of  what  he  saw 
perishing  also  with  him.  A  party  of  our  own  country  men  after- 
wards made  the  attempt,  and  lived  through  it :  but  one,  the 
bravest  and  the  best,  came  from  it  drooping  and  ill,  and  died 
immediately  afterwards  at  Beyrut,  in  a  vain  attempt  to  reach 
his  home.  Near  the  southern  end  of  the  sea,  the  awe-struck 
visitors  to  its  shores  will  find  a  hill  entirely  of  salt ;  and 
will  think  of  the  strange  circumstance  attending  Lot's  family 
in  the  destruction  which  once  came  over  this  place. 

The  climate  of  the  plain  of  Jericho  is,  in  summer,  insuf- 
ferably hot,  made  more  trying  by  a  sight  of  the  snow-clad 
summit  of  Hermon  looming  up  in  the  clear  atmosphere,  and 
distinctly  visible,  although  100  miles  to  the  north.  East 
of  the  Jordan,  at  this  spot,  is  a  plain  about  three  miles 
wide,  immediately  beyond  which  rises  the  vast  range  of 
Mount  Nebo;  and  both  that  mountain,  and  the  plain 
between  it  and  the  river,  had  associations  of  absorbing 
interest  in  the  Jewish  mind.  For,  over  this  range,  the 


284      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

immense  hosts  of  their  forefathers  had  poured  down,  and 
there  on  that  plain  they  had  rested,  after  their  journey  from 
the  place  of  bondage ;  their  wanderings  of  forty  years,  con- 
cluded now:  and  on  that  high,  sky-line  of  Nebo,  Moses 
had  stood,  forbidden  by  the  Almighty  to  go  further ;  and 
there  he  had  taken  his  view  of  the  Promised  Land.  How 
attentively  had  he  gazed  over  the  whole  region  ;  his  vision 
extending  to  the  Mediterranean  whose  gleaming  waters 
were  fully  in  sight ;  to  the  sands  of  Arabia  spread  out  far  to 
the  south ;  to  the  snowy  Hermon  on  the  north  : — between 
them  a  fair,  pleasant  country, — but  which  he  was  not  to 
enter. 

This  great  leader  and  lawgiver — one  of  those  men  men- 
tally and  morally  of  colossal  proportions,  whom  earth  but 
rarely  produces,  who  had  spoken  with  God  on  Sinai, 
was  forbidden  to  lead  them  further ;  and  for  an  incident 
which  must  have  risen  up  in  the  Jewish  memory,  at  this 
time  of  the  ministry  of  Christ,  with  peculiar  force.  One 
rash  word  spoken  in  anger  had  caused  this  exclusion  of 
Moses  from  the  promised  possession ;  and  this  great  range 
of  Nebo,  the  barrier  which  he  might  not  pass,  was  forever 
to  the  Jewish  mind  a  remembrancer  of  God's  determination 
that  no  human  being  should  ever  dare  to  invade  any  divine 
right. 

On  one  occasion  during  that  long  journey  through  the 
wilderness  of  Arabia,  the  people  had  been  murmuring  for 
water;  and  Moses  and  Aaron  were  told  by  Jehovah  to  strike 
with  their  rod  a  certain  rock,  whence  water  would  then 
flow.  They  proceeded  to  the  act,  but  gave  not  God  the 
glory.  "Hear  now,  ye  rebels;  must  we  fetch  you  water 
out  of  this  rock?  *  *  And  the  Lord^aid  unto  Moses 
and  Aaron,  Because  ye  believed  me  not,  to  sanctify  me  in 
the  eyes  of  the  children  of  Israel,  therefore  ye  shall  not 
bring  this  congregation  into  the  land  which  I  have  promised 


JERICHO.  285 

them."1  Aarjn  was  buried,  during  the  long  journey,  on 
Mount  Hor ;  and  here,  on  Nebo,  the  steps  of  Moses  were 
stayed ;  and  there  he  died  and  was  buried ;  and  that  lofty 
mountain  range  before  Jericho, — so  strangely  like  an  even 
wall  or  barrier  built  far  up  into  the  sky — told,  and  to  the 
last  will  tell,  of  God's  isolation  in  his  Divine  majesty  and 
power.  No  man  dare  ever  say  WE  before  him  in  thai 
greatness  of  his  glory,  or  in  the  exercise  of  aught  even  of 
his  communicated  power. 

Yet  here  was  one.  He  had  just  said,  "I  and  my  Father 
are  one."  He  had  repeatedly  asserted  prerogatives  belong- 
ing only  to  God:  the  power  to  forgive  sins;  the  supreme 
seat  in  the  great  judgment  to  come,  when  all  the  world 
would  be  gathered  before  him,  and  he  be  seated  in  the  glory, 
and  power,  and  dominion  belonging  to  Jehovah :  when 
charged  with  making  himself  equal  with  God,  he  had 
not  denied  it;  and  he  was  at  this  time  at  the  Jordan,  on  his 
way  to  Jerusalem,  where  his  entry  into  the  city  would  be  a 
triumphal  one,  and  where  the  immense  crowd  attending  and 
meeting  him  on  the  way  would  shout  to  him  "  Hosanna," 
that  is,  "  Save,  Lord,  we  beseech  thee ;"  "  Hosanna  in  the 
highest ;"  an  invocation  given  only  to  God,  but  which  was 
there  to  be  addressed  to  Jesus,  without  reproof  or  check 
from  him. 

And  even  here  in  Jericho,  with  Nebo  looking  down  upon 
him,  would  be  performed  by  him  one  of  the  greatest  of 
those  miraculous  acts,  to  which  he  was  always  appealing  as 
confirmation  of  the  justness  of  his  claims. 

God  only  can  perform  a  miracle.  That  is,  only  He  who 
has  established  nature's  laws  as  irrevocable,  can  reverse  them ; 
and  here  now,  by  that  spot  which  Moses  could  not  pass, 
because  he  had  on  one  occasion  not  sanctified  God,  here 


1  Numbers  xx.  10-12. 


286     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

Jelovah  was  going  to  establish,  by  his  own  act,  the  claims 
of  one  always  asserting  equality  with  God. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
THE  MESSIAH  A  T  JERICHO  :  BLIND  MEN  HEALED. 

THE  Messiah  was  now  on  his  way  once  more  toward 
Jerusalem.  His  disciples,  on  a  former  occasion,  when 
he  was  about  to  go  to  Bethany  in  order  to  restore  Lazarus, 
and  had  declared  to  them  his  intention  of  going  into  Judea, 
had  said,  in  alarm,  "  Master,  the  Jews  of  late  sought  to 
stone  thee,  and  goest  thou  thither  again  ?'n  That  subsequent 
miracle  at  Bethany  had  produced  in  the  rulers  a  more  delib- 
erate and  determined  purpose  to  put  him  to  death  f  and 
now,  when  he  indicated  his  intention  of  proceeding  to  Jeru- 
salem, his  followers  showed  both  amazement  and  fear.3 
Their  apprehensions  as  they  followed  him  in  Perea,  on  the 
road  toward  Jerusalem,  took  a  more  gloomy  cast  from  his 
own  words  on  the  way;  for  he  began  here  to  repeat 
what  he  had  before  intimated  of  the  closing  scenes  of  his 
ministry,  only  more  definitely  and  more  clearly,  and  with 
a  declaration  that  these  were  near  at  hand.  "  Behold,  we 
go  up  to  Jerusalem ;  and  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  delivered 
unto  the  chief  priests,  and  unto  the  Scribes ;  and  they  shall 
condemn  him  to  death,  and  shall  deliver  him  to  the  Gentiles; 
and  they  shall  mock  him,  and  scourge  him,  and  spit  upon 
him,  and  shall  kill  him ;  and  the  third  day  he  shall  rise 
again." 

The  journey,  therefore,  along  the  roads  of  Perea,  was  a 


1  John  xi.  8.  2  Ib.  verse  53.  *  Mark  x.  32. 


THE  MESSIAH  AT  JERICHO.  287 

sad  one.  Dim  as  were  the  apprehensions  of  his  disciples 
respecting  the  nature  of  his  kingdom,  they  still  understood 
language  so  unmistakable  as  this;  and  saw  that  they  were 
about  to  lose  him,  who  had  so  long  been  their  leader,  and 
teacher,  and  their  constant  friend.  Much  there  had  been 
about  him  which  they  had  tried  in  vain  to  comprehend;  but 
his  kindness  to  them,  even  among  the  strange  enigmas  of 
his  ministry  that  had  so  often  puzzled  them,  had  been  uni- 
form ;  and  even  when  he  had  observed  occasion  to  reprove 
them,  it  had  been  done  with  such  gentleness  as  to  strengthen 
their  attachment  and  love.  One  exception  there  was  in  this 
feeling  of  affection  toward  him,  but  that  was  confined  to  a 
single  individual  and  was  not  yet  made  clearly  manifest.  In 
following  him,  they  had  often  been  thrown  into  the  society 
of  opposers ;  and  sometimes  they  had  been  made  to  feel  the 
secret  force  of  hostility  when  people  were  backward  in  man- 
ifesting it  towards  himself.  Questions  innumerable  concern- 
ing him  had  been  propounded  to  them,  often  such  as  they 
were  unable  to  answer,  frequently  on  subjects  greatly  puz- 
zling to  their  own  minds.  They  were  Jews  still,  only  half 
enlightened  by  all  his  teachings ;  for  the  Jewish  mind  seemed 
to  need  a  miracle  to  break  through  the  old  incrustations 
which  enveloped  it :  but  their  feelings  were  truer  than  their 
intellects;  and  in  their  hearts,  they  had  appreciated  that 
grandeur  in  the  character  of  Christ, — that  true  greatness, 
which  could  afford  to  be  humble;  the  wonderful  power,  not 
in  his  teachings  only,  and  his  miracles,  but  in  his  gentleness 
and  love  to  all,  and  especially  to  themselves. 

Respecting  his  kingdom,  promised  by  the  Baptist,  some- 
times alluded  to  by  himself,  they  had  heard  many  disputa- 
tions among  his  friends  and  enemies,  and  in  these  they  had 
often  shared.  Their  interest  in  this  subject  was  strong  and 
personal.  Ambition  had  its  power  over  their  hearts;  and 
even  during  this  sad  journeying  towards  what  their  Master 
had  declared  would  to  him  end  presently  in  sufferings  and 


288     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

shame  and  an  ignominious  death,  James  and  John,  aided 
by  their  mother,  preferred  a  request,  that  they  might  have 
the  preference  (sit  next  to  him)  in  his  glory,  respecting 
which,  however,  their  ideas  must  have  been  very  indistinct. 

"  Are  ye  able,"  he  asked,  "  to  drink  of  the  cup  that  I 
shall  drink  of,  and  to  be  baptized  with  the  baptism  that  I 
am  baptized  with  ?" 

"  We  are  able." 

"  Ye  shall  drink  indeed  of  my  cup,  and  be  baptized  with 
the  baptism  that  I  am  baptized  with:  but  to 'sit  on  my  right 
hand  and  on  my  left,  is  not  mine  to  give,  but  it  shall  be 
given  to  them  for  whom  it  is  prepared  of  my  Father." 

The  ten  heard  of  the  request,  and  were  indignant,  and  he 
took  the  occasion  to  enjoin  humility  and  mutual  kindness 
on  all : — 

"  Whosoever  will  be  chief  among  you,  let  him  be  your 
servant :  even  as  the  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered 
unto,  but  to  minister,  and  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for 


many." 


No  wonder  that,  amid  all  their  darkness  of  intellect  and 
selfishness  of  nature,  their  Divine  Master  was  greatly 
admired  and  loved ! 

They  crossed  the  Jordan  now  for  the  last  time  with  him  ; 
and  entered  upon  the  garden-like  plain  of  Jericho,  which 
presented  at  every  step  scenes  of  busy  life.  If  anything 
could  win  an  individual  off  from  sad  and  disturbing 
thoughts,  it  might  have  been  found  in  the  sights  now  around 
them ;  where  the  rivulets,  led  carefully  from  so  many  foun- 
tains, gurgled  pleasantly  by  the  road-side ;  or,  crossing  the 
path,  were  lost  amid  the  profuse  vegetation  which  they 
aided  in  this  most  prolific  soil ;  where  fruits  and  flowers  con- 
stantly greeted  the  eye ;  and  where  birds  were  filling  the  air 
with  their  melody.  The  labor  of  the  husbandman  was  here 
abundantly  rewarded ;  and  a  profitable  trade  existed  between 
this  favored  region  of  gums  and  palms,  and  other  parts  of 


THE  MESSIAH  AT  JERICHO.  289 

the  country:  the  balsams  of  Jericho  were  sought  also  by 
foreign  nations  and  valued  at  their  courts. 

The  business  of  a  tax-gatherer  was  here  an  unusually 
profitable  one;  but  here,  as  elsewhere,  odious  to  the  Jews. 
A  man  in  that  office  might  be  thoroughly  honest,  and  even 
far  more  than  usually  benevolent;  but  he  would  still  be 
looked  upon  with  suspicion  and  dislike.  He  wore  the 
Roman  badge  of  servitude,  and  was  connected  with  a  class 
disreputable  for  extortions  and  overreaching;  and  any 
increase  in  wealth  would  make  suspicions  attached  to  him 
only  the  stronger.  Zaccheus,  the  chief  of  these  tax-gather- 
ers at  Jericho,  was  a  man  of  the  widest  and  largest  charity ; 
and  of  strictest  probity  also;  for  while  the  Jewish  law 
required  restitution  two-fold  in  case  of  wrong-dealing,  he 
gave  back  four- fold  to  any  one  whom  he  might  unwittingly 
have  injured.  Yet  he  was  "a  sinner'7  in  the  estimation  of 
the  people  here,  and  was  so  branded :  his  occupation  alone 
was  a  sufficient  cause  for  condemnation  in  their  eyes. 

He  had  heard  of  Christ:  and  there  was  very  much  in 
these  reports,  not  only  to  awaken  his  curiosity,  but  to  enlist 
his  feelings  of  affection  ; — for  they  spoke  of  the  Messiah's 
wide  benevolence,  his  kindness,  his  gentleness  to  all,  mixed 
yet  with  power.  He  had  never  spurned  any  one  seeking 
help :  he  had  shown  himself  the  friend  of  the  humble  and 
the  slighted  by  the  world ;  publicans  themselves  had  gath- 
ered around  him,  and  had  not  been  repelled.  When  charged 
with  eating  with  such,  and  with  sinners,  he  had  said  that  he 
came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners,  to  repentance. 
The  heart  of  this  man  had  warmed  toward  Christ: — and 
now  this  great  and  wonderful  being  was  there  in  Jericho. 
But  the  tax-gatherer,  repelled  by  the  citizens,  and  taunted 
with  sharp  epithets,  dared  not  thrust  himself  forward  among 
that  throng,  which  now,  as  the  Messiah  advanced  along  the 
highway,  was  continually  growing  more  and  more  dense ; 
and  Zaccheus  being  a  small  man,  there  seemed  to  be  no 

25 


290      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

probability  of  his  even  getting  a  sight  of  him  whom  his 
heart  was  already  prepared  to  reverence.  But  there  is  a  tree 
in  that  country  with  branches  near  to  the  ground;  und,  one 
of  these  being  just  in  advance  of  the  company  he  hastened 
to  it,  and  drew  himself  up  till  he  could  see  over  the  heads 
of  the  advancing  throngs. 


The  Syrian  sycamore. 1 

They  came  on :  and,  now,  opposite  to  him,  was  that  fade 
he  had  so  longed  to  see ;  that  great  being,  of  whose  power 
and  benevolence  and  divine  wisdom  he  had  heard  so  much. 
But  what  was  his  astonishment  when  he  found  the  eyes  of 

1  This  tree  is  entirely  different  from  our  sycamore.  Its  brandies  grow 
out  near  the  ground,  and  its  large  widely  spread  roots  extend  upward 
like  buttresses  to  the  trunk.  These  roots  take  such  a  strong  hold  on  the 
ground  as  to  give  the  greatest  force  to  the  passage  in  Luke  xvii.  6,  "  Be 
thou  plucked  up  by  the  root,"  &c.  It  bears  fruit  like  figs,  growing  di- 
rectly from  the  large  branches. 


THE  MESSIAH  AT  JERICHO.  291 

the  Messiah  turned  directly  and  attentively  upon  him  ;  and 
to  hear  himself  addressed — 

"  Zaccheus,  make  haste  and  come  down,  for  to-day  I  must 
abide  at  thy  house." 

If  the  tax-gatherer  was  astonished,  equally  so  were  the 
multitudes ;  and  while  the  former  hurried  down  and  joyfully 
accompanied  the  Messiah,  a  displeased  murmur  ran  among 
the  people,  "that  he  had  gone  to  be  guest  with  a  man  that 
is  a  sinner."  They  could  not  understand  it,  and  self-invited 
too  !  "  Was  he  ignorant  of  the  man's  occupation  ?" — thus  the 
murmurs  ran  among  the  crowd — "  or  was  this  done  purposely 
to  give  an  open  defiance  to  all  their  prejudices  and  feelings 
of  caste?  or  was  it  done  in  contempt  of  themselves?'7  Some 
turned  away  in  disgust,  others  followed  to  the  door,  curiosity 
still  strongest  in  their  minds :  all  were  displeased. 

In  the  meantime  the  two,  followed  by  the  disciples,  had 
entered  the  tax-gatherer's  house.  A  stir  and  commotion 
within  the  dwelling  at  such  an  unexpected  Presence,  won- 
dering looks  fixed  intently  on  that  face  of  benignity  and 
kindness,  peering  eyes  outside  trying  to  have  cognizance  of 
what  was  going  on  ;  such  was  the  scene  as  Zaccheus  standing 
before  the  Messiah  said,  in  a  sort  of  a  defence  of  himself 
from  what  he  knew  was  the  general  impression  respecting 
his  business  and  life — 

"  Behold,  Lord,  the  half  of  my  goods  I  give  to  the  poor, 
and  if  I  have  taken  anything  from  any  man  wrongfully  I 
restore  him  fourfold/' 

"  This  day  is  salvation  come  unto  this  house,"  was  the  an- 
swer, "  forasmuch  as  he  also  is  a  son  of  Abraham.  For  the 
Son  of  man  has  come  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was 
lost." 

But  through  all  this  scene  in  the  receiver-general's  house, 
and  doubtless  throughout  the  city  also,  there  were  rumors 
and  whisperings  foreign  to  the  scene  itself,  greatly  exciting 
the  people  wherever  they  were  heard.  These  were,  "That 


292      LIFE-SCENES  FROM   THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

the  kingdom  of  God  should  immediately  appear" '  The  ori- 
gin of  the  rumor  was,  doubtless,  in  a  distorted  report  of  the 
Messiah's  recent  declaration  respecting  his  going  up  to  Jerusa- 
lem. He  was  known  to  be  on  his  way  to  that  city.  Something 
decisive  it  was  believed  from  his  own  words  was  then  to  en- 
sue. He  had  spoken  of  his  death  as  to  occur  there,  but  also 
of  his  rising  again.  What  could  this  last  mean,  they  sup- 
posed, but  the  assumption  of  that  earthly  power  and  glory 
so  long  awaiting  the  Messiah,  prophesied  of  him  for  so  long 
a  time?  We  shall  see  in  a  few  days  how  strong  was  the 
under-current  in  his  favor  among  all  the  multitudes,  and 
how  quickly  it  could  bear  them  into  open  demonstrations  in 
his  favor.  His  fame  had  spread  throughout  the  nation. 
People  felt  him  to  be  great.  This  feeling  of  his  greatness 
was  that  which  led  the  Pharisees  after  he  had  denounced 
them,  to  be  so  inveterate  and  so  deadly  in  their  hostility.  A 
common  man  they  could  have  disregarded.  All  felt  that 
Christ  was  very  far  above  that.  His  very  humility  of  ap- 
pearance gave  to  the  mightiness  of  power  evident  in  him 
a  stronger  relief;  his  very  gentleness  and  kindness  made 
more  striking  the  grandeur  of  character  that  sat  so  majesti- 
cally, and  withal  so  naturally  on  him  in  all  that  he  did  and 
said.  The  Pharisees  hated  him,  because  he  had  this  force, 
this  grandeur,  this  wonderful  Presence,  which  no  humility 
in  appearance  or  in  life  could  annul  or  conceal,  which  his 
humility  only  made  more  prominent  and  more  striking; 
he  was  himself  the  truest  exemplification  of  his  doctrine, 
u  The  first  shall  be  last,  the  last  shall  be  first." 

So  the  Pharisees  hated  and  feared  him.  He  had  denounced 
their  hypocrisy  and  their  abrogation  of  God's  law  by  their 
traditions.  He  was  carrying  the  hearts  of  the  people  away 
from  them,  and  they  felt  that  their  power  was  on  the  wane. 
The  multitudes,  although  often  murmuring  at  Christ's  words 


Luke  xix.  2. 


THE  MESSIAH  AT  JERICHO.  293 

or  actions,  as  in  this  recent  one  of  going  to  be  a  guest  with 
Zaccheus,  still  returned  to  him  with  new  fealty  and  affec- 
tion ;  for  their  hearts  responded  to  his  greatness  without 
assumption,  his  force  without  harshness,  his  gentleness  and 
kindness  to  every  one. 

He  spent  the  Sabbath  at  Jericho.  At  his  leaving  the  city 
vast  multitudes  attended  him,  for  in  addition  to  the  usual 
curiosity  this  new  rumor  of  the  mighty  revolution  soon  to 
be — the  new  kingdom — was  filling  men's  minds  and  occupy- 
ing their  tongues.  Advancing  onward  they  had  reached  the 
edge  of  the  city,  the  great  crowd  causing  a  bustle  as  they 
pressed  around  him,  when  above  all  their  noises  rose  sud- 
denly a  very  distinct  and  most  earnest  cry — 

"  Jesus,  thou  Son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me !" 

It  ceased  for  a  moment  or  two,  and  over  in  the  direction 
from  which  it  had  come  were  now  heard  angry  objurgations 
and  efforts  to  stifle  the  cry,  but  immediately  the  voice  rose 
louder  than  before,  "Jesus,  thou  Son  of  David,  have  mercy 
on  me!" 

It  was  from  a  beggar,  Bartimeus  by  name,  a  blind  man 
sitting  by  the  road-side,  that  the  cry  had  come.  The  sounds 
of  an  unusual  crowd  had  fallen  on  his  ear,  as  he  sat  there  in 
darkness,  the  light  of  broad  day  quenched  to  his  sightless 
balls.  The  multitude  increased  and  were  excitedly  talking 
as  of  something  unusual  on  the  road.  He  stopped  his  own 
petitions  for  alms  to  inquire  what  it  meant,  and  was  told 
that  "  Jesus  of  Nazareth  passeth  by."  What  a  thrill  shot 
through  the  blind  man  !  Jesus  there !  He  raised  the  cry. 

It  was  offensive,  however,  to  many  of  the  crowd,  for  SON 
OF  DAVID  was  one  of  the  titles  which  in  all  Jewish  belief 
was  to  be  applied  to  the  Messiah,  and  unbelievers  quickly 
threw  in  their  angry  commands  to  him  to  be  silent ;  enraged 
men  crowded  about  him,  indignant,  sharp  tones  and  harsh 
words  rung  in  his  ear,  but  with  a  blind  man's  quick  in- 
stincts he  understood  at  once  both  them  and  his  only  hope, 

25* 


294      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

and  he  cried  out  only  the  louder  in  that  cry  of  his  earnest 
faith. 

Presently  the  angry  men  about  him  were  pushed  aside, 
and  a  friendly  voice  said, 

"Be  of  good  comfort;  rise  :  he  calleth  for  thee." 
Jesus  had  stopped  when  the  cry  reached  his  ear,  and  had 
directed  that  he  should  be  brought  to  him.  The  blind  man 
dropping  his  outer  garment  in  his  haste,  was  led — how  he 
hurried  those  leading  him!  they  seemed  to  be  so  slow! — and 
now  he  felt  that  he  stood  before  the  Messiah.  The  colloquy 
was  too  earnest  to  be  other  than  brief. 

"  What  wilt  thou  that  I  should  do  unto  thee?" 
"  Lord,  that  I  might  receive  my  sight !" 
"  Go  thy  way ;  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole." 
LIGHT  !  yes,  there  was  light  poured  into  those  balls :  a 
world  of  faces  flashed  upon  him,  all  of  them  with  such  in- 
tensified and  startled  looks; — all  but  one,  and  on  that,  calm- 
ness and  benevolence  ruled  ;  that  gentle  face  of  Him  bless- 
ing, even  in  his  very  look,  those  who  had  faith  for  the 
blessing.  Him  he  saw,  and  a  loud  cry  of  gratitude,  and 
praise,  and  of  glorifying  God  burst  out ;  not  from  the  healed 
man  only,  but  from  all  the  company  around.  They  had 
gazed  upon  him  as  he  had  been  led  up  ;• — saw  his  eager  face; 
saw  his  hurried,  agitated  manner ;  saw  his  sightless  eyeballs, 
showing  that  there  was  an  utter  blank  there;  heard  the 
colloquy :  and  gazing  as  if  their  whole  souls  were  in  their 
intensified  look,  saw  these  balls  take  clearness  and  expression 
of  intelligence;  saw  the  astonishment  and  joy  in  the  man's 
face ;  and  involuntarily  they  burst  out,  too,  in  loud  acclama- 
tions of  praise  to  God. 

The  restored  man  joined  them  most  gladly  in  following 
Christ.1 


1  Mark  x.  46-52 ;   Luke  xviii.   35-43 ;   Matt.  xx.  30-34.     Matthew 
speaks  of  two  as  being  healed.  Mark  and  Luke  of  but  one.  It  is  probable 


JERUSALEM.  295 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
JERUSALEM. 

THE  interest  of  this  history  now  concentrates  at  Jerusa- 
lem ;  and  the  events  which  transpired  there  make  it 
necessary  to  give  a  detailed  description  of  the  city  itself. 
Jerusalem  with  its  surroundings  was  unique,  picturesque, 
and  in  many  parts  beautiful,  a  place  well  worthy  of  our 
minute  attention,  even  apart  from  the  sacred  associations 
which  it  must  always  have  in  our  minds. 

The  reader  will  imagine  a  valley  running  nearly  north 
and  south,  (more  accurately  N.  5°  E.) — the  valley  of  Jehosh- 
aphat,  at  the  bottom  of  which,  in  the  wet  season,  flowed 
the  brook  Kedron  ;  it  was  perhaps  then  as  now,  a  dry  water- 
course in  the  summer  months.  On  the  west  side  of  this 
valley,  we  reach,  by  a  steep  ascent,  at  the  height  of  190  feet, 
the  present  surface  of  Moriah,  which  is  318  yards  across. 
This  has  for  its  western  boundary,  the  valley  of  Tyropeon 
(also  formerly  "the  valley  of  Cheesemongers/')  about  half 
the  depth  of  that  of  Jehoshaphat,  and  117  yards  in  width. 
Crossing  this  valley  westwardly,  and  again  ascending  to  an 
elevation  about  equal  to  that  of  Moriah,  we  find  ourselves 
on  Mount  Zion,  "  beautiful  for  situation,  the  joy  of  the 
whole  earth."  This  mountain  (or  rather  hill)  is  600  yards 
across  and  three-fifths  of  a  mile  in  length.  On  the  west 


that  Bartiraeus  was  the  more  noted  of  the  two ;  and  it  is  a  maxim  among 
critics  qui  plura  narrat  pandora,  complectitur  ;  qui  pauciora  memorat  pluro 
non  neyat ;  he  who  describes  the  larger  number  embraces  in  it  the  fewer:  he 
who  notices  the  fewer,  does  not  deny  the  larger.  A  similar  case  occurs  in 
Matt.  viii.  28-31 ;  Mark  v.  1-21 ;  and  Luke  viii.  26-40.  There  may  have 
been  a  healing  also,  before  entering  Jericho.  See  Luke  xviii.  35-43. 


or 
OTI7BE 


296       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

and  south  of  it  passes  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  shallow  at 
first,  but  deepening  as  it  goes  southwardly,  till  at  the  south- 
west bend  of  Zion,  it  has  a  depth  of  150  feet;  and  finally  where, 
after  curving  around  Zion  on  the  south,  and  then  taking  an 
easterly  course,  it  unites  with  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  it 
is  300  feet  deep.  The  Tyropeon,  nearly  at  the  point 
of  their  junction,  opens  into  both,  and  has  in  it  at  its  open- 
ing, the  Pool  of  Siloam,  placed  by  Milton  (by  poetic  license) 
though  700  yards  distant,  "fast  by  the  oracles  of  God. " 
Our  imaginary  journey,  as  the  reader  perceives,  was  from 
east  to  west;  it  passed  just  at  the  southern  edge  of  the  temple 
enclosure,  which  enclosure  was  opposite  the  northeast  corner 
of  Zion,  a  high  stone  bridge  across  the  Tyropeon  uniting 
the  two.  The  portion  of  Mount  Moriah  south  of  the  tem- 
ple-enclosure was  called  Ophel,  and  was  occupied  by  the 
Nethenim  or  servants  dedicated  to  the  use  of  the  temple 
(Nehemiah  iii.  26):  it  terminates  in  a  bluff  forty  feet  high, 
just  above  the  fountain  of  Siloam. 

The  city  wall,  on  the  west  and  south,  kept  along  the  edge 
of  the  almost  precipitous  descent  to  the  valley  of  Hinnom, 
until  the  Tyropeon  was  reached,  when  stretching  across  this, 
and  then  over  the  lower  end  of  Ophel,  it  thence  skirted  the 
valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  till  it  reached  the  southeastern  angle 
of  the  great  wall  supporting  the  temple  platform.  On  the 
north  side  of  Zion,  the  wall  also  skirted  the  edge  of  the 
mountain,  on  the  verge  of  a  descent  of  thirty  cubits,1  and 
finally  crossed  the  Tyropeon  to  the  western  wall  of  the  tem- 
ple enclosure. 

In  the  course  of  time,  a  larger  space  was  needed  for  the 
city ;  and  a  hill,  called  Acra,  adjoining  Zion  on  the  north- 
ward, and  like  that  "surrounded  by  deep  valleys,"2  was  also 
enclosed  by  a  wall  carried  along  on  the  edge  of  its  preci- 
pices, except  where  this  crossed  the  lower  ground  to  be 


1  Jos.  Bell.  v.  4,  §4.  2  Ib.  v.  §  1. 


Scale  of  yards. 
Map  of  Jerusalem  and  its  environs,  as  they  were  in  the  time  of  Christ. 

A.  Mount  Zion. 

B.  Acra,  or  Lower  City. 

C.  Temple  Enclosure. 

D.  Tower  of  Antonia. 

E.  E.  Bezetha,  at  that  time  built  upon;  not  enclosed  till  A.D.40.    The  dotted  lines  show 
the  probable  course  of  these  subsequent  walls. 

F.  The  reputed  place  of  the  crucifixion. 

0.  G.  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  and  Brook  Kedron. 

II.  Valley  of  Hinnomt  the  Lower  Pool  of  Gihon  is  marked  in  it. 

1.  Probable  site  of  the  Xystus,  or  place  for  public  assemblies. 
K.  Bridge  across  the  Tyropeon.    This  valley  extended  down  to 
L.  The  Pool  of  Siloam. 

M.  Ophel. 

N.  Double-arched  bridge  over  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat ;  (on  authority  of  the  ancient 
Rabbins). 

O.  0.  0.  The  Mount  of  Olives. 

P.  Mount  of  Offence.     See  1  Kings  xi.  7 ;  2  Kings  xxiii.  13. 
R.  Camel  road  to  Bethany  and  Jericho. 
S.  Bethany. 

T.  T.  Probable  route  of  David  when  escaping  from  Absalom.    2  Sum.  xv.,  rvi. 
U.  Present  Damascus  Gate. 


JER  USA  LEM.  299 

united  with  the  wall  of  Zion,  at  a  gate  called  Gennath  :  on 
the  east,  this  wall  of  Acra,  joined  the  tower  of  Antonia 
situated  at  the  north  of  the  temple  enclosure.1 

The  city,  however,  grew  finally  even  beyond  Acra,  and  a 
large  space  of  ground,  north  and  east  of  that  hill,  reaching 
to  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  was  covered  with  houses ; 
but  this,  called  Bezetha,  was  not  inclosed  in  our ^ Saviour's 
time;  the  wall  afterwards  bounding  it  on  three  sides,  hav- 
ing been  built  by  Agrippa  at  a  period  shortly  subsequent 
to  the  crucifixion. 

Zion,  Moriali,  and  Acra,  although  called  mountains,  in 
historical  descriptions,  did  not  rise  above  the  general  level 
of  the  country  adjacent,  and  could  be  termed  such  only  in 
consequence  of  being  isolated  by  the  surrounding  valleys : 
but  all  this  region  had  a  considerable  elevation  above  the 
Mediterranean,  Zion  being  2610,  and  the  Mount  of  Olives 
2797  feet  above  the  level  of  that  sea. 

Let  a  spectator  be  supposed  then  in  those  ancient  times  to 
be  seated  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  gazing  down  over 
Jerusalem.  He  would  perceive  that  the  general  level  of  the 
city  inclined  to  the  eastward,  and  that  every  object  was  thus 
brought  distinctly  into  view.  The  whole  was  like  a  map  at 
his  feet.  Prominent  over  all,  as  well  as  nearest  to  him, 


1  No  subject  connected  with  the  topography  of  Jerusalem  lias  given 
rise  to  such  warm  discussions  as  the  course  of  this  wall.  The  author  after  a 
most  patient  and  thorough  examination  of  the  opposing  authorities,  has 
placed  Acra  in  the  northern  extension  of  Moriah,  (there  wider  than  fur- 
ther south  ;)  this  being  apparently  the  only  spot  that  would  admit  of  Jo- 
sephus's  description  of  its  walls.  Such  a  position  also  corresponds  best  to 
all  the  facts  in  his  description  of  the  siege  and  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 
What  is  now  called  "  the  Damascus  gate,"  was  undoubtedly  connected 
with  that  wall ;  and  the  author  has  placed  it  at  the  northwestern  angle  in 
his  map  of  Acra,  in  this  book. 

The  difficulty  in  topographical  researches  is  enhanced  by  the  fact  that 
the  present  city  is  built  upon  about  twenty  feet  of  debris  of  the  old  one, 
which  help  to  fill  up  valley?  and  to  make  outlines  obscure. 


300     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

would  be  the  "  Mountain  of  the  House,"  that  huge  mass  of 
masonry  composed  of  large  stones  with  rebated  faces  and  ris- 
ing to  a  height  that  overtopped  every  thing  else,  as  if  jealous 
respecting  its  pre-eminence*  In  fact,  the  summit  of  Acra, 
which  was  originally  higher,  had  been  cut  down  in  order 
that  "  the  temple  might  be  superior  to  it." 1  From  his  eleva- 
tion on  the  Mount  of  Olives  the  spectator  would  be  able  to 
look  over  the  ramparts  of  the  exterior  wall  of  the  temple 
enclosure,  and  to  see  within  it  parts  of  the  long  cloisters 
with  their  marble  columns  in  triple  or  quadruple  rows,  and 
the  great  marble-paved  court ;  he  would  see  then  rising  on 
this  platform  the  more  sacred  courts  reached  by  great  ranges 
of  marble  steps,  and  by  huge  doors  glittering  with  gold  and 
silver;  and  finally  the  temple  itself,  its  front  150  feet  wide 
and  as  many  in  height,  "covered  all  over  with  plates  of 
gold."  The  great  altar  would  be  sending  up  the  smoke 
from  its  sacrifices,  and  even  at  his  elevation  he  might  hear 
the  chanting  from  the  many  voices  of  worshippers,  or  the 
trumpets  and  other  instruments  sounded  from  the  steps  of 
the  temple  by  the  altar. 

Then  below  on  the  high  stone  bridge  connecting  Moriah 
with  Zion  would  be  multitudes  passing  between  the  temple 
and  the  city. 

The  picturesque  outline  of  the  city  walls  would  next  per- 
haps attract  the  notice  of  the  spectator,  for  as  they  were 
erected  mostly  on  the  edges  of  the  precipices,  their  battle- 
mented  outline,  and  the  numerous  towers  built  to  strengthen 
them,  would  all  stand  out  distinctly  before  his  eye.  Some  of 
these  towers  had  a  singular  combination  of  solidity  below  with 
an  airy  and  delicate  architecture  above.  The  solid  impenetra- 
ble substructure  of  one  of  them,  Hippicus,  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  Zion,  still  remains,  the  rebated  work  on  its  stones 
giving  a  good  architectural  effect  to  the  solid  unbroken  wall. 


1  Jos.  Bel.  v.  4,  g  1 ;  Ibid.  v.  5,  I  6. 


JERUSALEM.  303 

Just  eastward  of  Hippicus,  and  forming  part  of  the  defences 
at  the  northern  end  of  Zion,  were  two  other  principal  towers, 
one  of  which  we  will  allow  Josephus  to  describe:  "The 
second  tower  which  he  [Herod  the  Great]  named  from  his 
brother  Phasaelus,  had  its  breadth  and  its  height  equal,  each 
of  them  forty  cubits,  over  which  was  its  solid  height  of  forty 
cubits,  over  which  a  cloister  went  round  about  whose  height 
was  ten  cubits,  and  it  was  covered  from  enemies  by  breast- 
works and  bulwarks.  There  was  also  built  over  that  clois- 
ter another  tower,  parted  into  magnificent  rooms  and  a  place 
for  bathing,  so  that  this  tower  wanted  nothing  that  might 
make  it  appear  to  be  a  royal  palace.  It  was  also  adorned 
with  battlements  and  turrets,  more  than  was  the  foregoing, 
and  the  entire  altitude  was  about  ninety  cubits."1  It  will 
be  remembered  that  it  stood  on  the  edge  of  a  descent  of  thirty 
cubits.  Hippicus  was  smaller,  but  similarly  ornamented, 
and  just  eastward  of  Phasaelus  and  in  the  same  wall  was 
the  tower  Mariamne,  named  after  Herod's  late  wife,  smaller 
also  than  the  latter,  but  "its  upper  buildings  were  more 
magnificent  and  had  greater  variety  than  the  other  towers 
had/'  "Now  as  these  towers,"  says  Josephus,  "were  tall 
they  appeared  taller  by  the  place  on  which  they  stood,  for 
that  very  old  wall  wherein  they  were  was  built  on  a  high 
hill,  and  was  itself  a  kind  of  elevation  that  was  still  thirty 
cubits  taller,  over  which  the  towers  were  situated,  and  thereby 
were  made  much  higher  to  appearance."  The  other  towers 
in  the  line  of  walls  were  inferior  in  ornament,  but  "the 
niceness  of  the  joints  and  the  beauty  of  the  stones  were  in 
no  way  inferior  to  those  of  the  holy  house  itself."  These 
towers  were  twenty  cubits  wide,  and  as  many  in  height,  and 
above  this  solid  substructure  were  rooms  "  of  great  magnifi- 
cence," and  cisterns  for  rain-water ;  Acra  had  forty  and  Zion 
sixty  of  such  towers  attached  to  their  walls.  "The  whole 


1  Jos.  Bel.  v.  4,  \  3. 


304      LIFE-SCENES   FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

compass  of  the  city  [including  Bezetha]  was  thirty- threfc 
furlongs,"  or  about  four  miles  and  a  quarter  of  our  measure, 
the  dimensions  not  large,  but  we  must  remember  that  the 
cities  of  that  region  are  compactly  built,  the  streets  being 
frequently  only  four  or  five  feet  in  width.  The  population 
at  the  time  of  our  Saviour  is  supposed  to  have  been  200,000. 
Tacitus  estimated  it  at  much  more  than  that. 

The  palace  of  Herod  the  Great  and  its  grounds  were  among 
the  most  striking  features  of  the  city,  and  for  these,  lest  any 
other  description  may  seem  extravagant,  we  will  again  resort 
to  Josephus.  He  had  just  been  describing  the  towers  Mari- 
amne  and  Phasaelus  in  the  northern  wall  of  Zion,  and  he 
adds :  "  Now  as  these  towers  were  themselves  at  the  north 
side  of  the  wall  the  king  had  a  palace  inwardly  thereto  ad- 
joined, which  exceeds  all  my  ability  to  describe  it,  for  it  was 
so  curious  as  to  want  no  cost  or  skill  in  its  construction,  but 
was  entirely  walled  about  to  the  height  of  thirty  cubits,  and 
was  adorned  with  towers  at  equal  distances,  and  with  large 
bed-chambers  that  would  contain  beds  for  a  hundred  guests 
a-piece,  in  which  the  variety  of  the  stones  is  not  to  be  ex- 
pressed, for^i  large  quantity  of  those  that  were  rare  of  the 
kind  was  collected  together.  Their  roofs  were  also  wonder- 
ful, both  for  the  length  of  the  beams  and  the  splendor  of 
their  ornaments.  The  number  of  the  rooms  was  also  very 
great,  and  the  variety  of  the  figures  that  were  about  them 
was  prodigious ;  their  furniture  was  complete,  and  the  great- 
est part  of  the  vessels  that  were  put  in  them  was  of  silver 
and  gold.  There  were  besides  many  porticos  one  beyond 
another,  round  about,  and  in  each  of  these  porticos  curious 
pillars,  yet  were  all  the  courts  that  were  exposed  to  the  air 
everywhere  green.  There  were  moreover  several  groves  of 
trees,  and  long  walks  throughout  them,  with  deep  canals  and 
cisterns,  that  in  several  parts  were  filled  with  brazen  statues 
through  which  the  water  ran." ' 

1  Jos.  Bel.  v    4,  24. 


JERUSALEM.  305 

There  was  also  a  palace  on  Acra,  of  which  however  we  have 
no  definite  account.  The  castle  of  Antonia,  joined  to  the 
northern  side  of  the  temple  enclosure,  was  also  a  conspicu- 
ous object,  both  on  account  of  its  situation  with  one  turret 
overtopping  the  temple  precincts  and  looking  directly  down 
into  its  courts,  and  also  for  its  vastness  and  magnificence ; 
"  for  the  inward  parts  had  the  largeness  and  form  of  a  palace, 
it  being  parted  into  all  kinds  of  rooms  and  other  conveni- 
ences with  a  court  and  places  for  bathing  and  broad  spaces  for 
camps,  insomuch  that  by  having  all  conveniences  that  cities 
wanted  it  might  seem  to  be  composed  of  several  cities,  but 
by  its  magnificence  it  seemed  a  palace." l 

The  walls  and  towers  were  constructed  with  the  white 
limestone,  (Josephus  calls  it  white  marble),  of  that  region ;  a 
large  portion  of  which  was  probably  taken  from  beneath  the 
city  itself.  Some  curious  persons,  lately  observing  a  small 
hole  just  outside  the  present  northern  city-wall,  not  unlike 
a  burrow  in  the  banks  of  a  rabbit  warren,  enlarged  it  a  lit- 
tle ;  and  through  it  they  presently  slid  down  into  a  subter- 
ranean chamber,  about  seven  hundred  feet  long  from  north 
to  south,  and  from  three  to  four  hundred  feet  in  width,  the 
height  from  ten  to  fifty  feet.  It  has  all  been  cut  in  the  solid 
rock,  with  rude  pillars  at  intervals  to  support  the  roof.  A 
recent  explorer  says,  "  It  was  evidently  a  quarry,  and  I  could 
see  that  the  stones  were  all  hewn  and  polished  on  the  spot. 
On  every  side  were  immense  piles  of  chippings,  still  bear- 
ing, like  the  rocky  walls,  the  marks  of  the  chisel.  At  the 
extreme  end  several  huge  blocks  remain,  not  completely  dis- 
lodged. From  hence  down  to  Moriah  is  an  easy  slope,  along 
which  they  could  easily  have  been  rolled ;"  and  the  floor  of 
the  chamber  is  descending,  and  in  several  places  is  hewn 
smooth.  This  quarry  is  underneath  what  in  our  map  is 
represented  as  Acra.  Doubtless  there  are  many  chambers 
and  passages  under  Jerusalem,  yet  unknown. 

1  Jos.  Bel.  v.  5,  §  8. 
26* 


306      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

The  grounds  beyond  the  walls  were  covered  over  with 
gardens,  among  the  enclosures  of  which  the  Roman  soldiers, 
in  the  first  assaults  by  Titus,  became  entangled  and  suffered 
bloody  defeats.  On  the  south  of  the  city  were  the  "  king's 
gardens ;"  and  where  the  valleys  of  Hinnom  and  Jehosha- 
phat  unite  is  still  the  well  called  after  Nehemiah,  which 
often  overflows  and  refreshes  the  flat  surface  adjoining. 

Many  an  individual  in  those  days  lingered  on  the  heights 
of  Olivet,  to  gaze  long  on  that  scene  below ; —  on  the  city, 
like  a  hive  of  human  beings,  many  of  its  common  struc- 
tures, doubtless,  giving  evidence  of  the  wealth  which  the 
whole  world  poured  toward  Jerusalem  ; — on  the  battlemented 
walls  and  the  numerous  towers,  all,  from  their  position, 
brought  into  strong  relief; — on  the  castles  and  palaces,  and 
the  long,  high  bridge  between  Moriah  and  Zion,  with  its 
numerous  passengers  in  full  view ; — on  the  beautiful  green 
frame- work  of  gardens  surrounding  the  city ; — and  most 
especially  on  the  Mountain  of  the  House,  lifting  its  crown- 
ing splendor  of  the  temple  high  in  the  air;  the  glitter  of 
its  gold  partly  hid  by  the  smoke  from  the  sacrificial  altar 
curling  upward,  while  were  heard  the  sounds  from  the  wor- 
shippers there,  now  sinking  into  low  notes  of  music,  and 
now  rising  to  loud  strains  in  the  hallelujahs,  and  filling  the 
air  with  their  melody. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
THE  PUBLIC  ENTRT. 

FT! HE  Messiah  was  now  on  his  way  to  Jerusalem  for  the 
J-  celebration  of  the  Passover  festival;  and  proceeding  on- 
ward, after  the  cure  of  Bartimeus,  he  arrived  in  the  even- 
ing at  Bethany,  where  he  was  to  spend  the  night. 


THE  PUBLIC  ENTRT.  307 

On  the  morrow,  it  quickly  became  evident  that  the  pub- 
lic enthusiasm  respecting  him  was  going  to  break  through 
all  bounds,  and  to  make  a  demonstration  of  itself,  such  as 
had  never  yet  been  seen.  The  rumor,  "  that  the  kingdom  of 
God  should  immediately  appear"  was  still  spreading,  and 
people  were  wrought  up  to  a  state  of  the  highest  expectancy; 
— the  excitement  all  the  greater  in  consequence  of  the  vague- 
ness of  their  surmisings,  in  which  both  curiosity  and  imagi- 
nation had  the  widest  scope.  He  was  now  in  Bethany, 
where  he  had  raised  the  dead :  what  could  not  power  such 
as  that  effect?  Bartimeus  and  his  companion  had  followed 
him,  full  of  enthusiasm  and  ready  to  testify  to  every  one 
whom  they  met,  what  had  been  done  for  them  :  many  of 
those  around  Christ,  had  themselves  witnessed  this  wonder- 
ful act.  The  excited  company  at  Bethany  was  soon  in- 
creased in  consequence  of  the  circulation  of  this  new  and 
stirring  rumor  circulating  in  Jerusalem  itself  and  among  the 
throngs  already  come  up  to  the  festival.  For,  although  it 
wanted  yet  four  days  to  the  Passover,  large  numbers1  had 
assembled,  some  of  them  from  distant  lands.2  Strangers 
and  citizens  were  full  of  excitement;  and  the  feeling  re- 
specting Christ,  which  had  been  kept  hushed  through  fear 
of  the  rulers,  and  had  dared  to  show  itself  only  in  whispers, 
was  now  beginning  to  take  an  outspoken  and  decisive  char- 
acter. "  How  was  this  new  kingdom  to  be  established  ?" 
The  bitter  hostility  of  the  rulers  toward  him  was  well 
known :  their  plots  for  his  death  were  also  surmised.  His 
denunciations  of  the  hypocrisy  of  most  of  them  had  been 
public.  "  Would  vengeance  now  overwhelm  them,  and 
make  clear  the  way  for  his  supremacy  ??J  "  What  would 
this  new  kingdom  be?"  We  may  well  imagine  what  an 
excitement  such  surmisings  would  occasion  amid  a  demon- 
strative people,  such  as  they  were;  and  that  amid  it,  enthu- 


1  John  xii.  12.  2  ib.  verse  20. 


308       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

siasm  for  the  Messiah  would  be  constantly  on  the  in- 
crease. 

Early  in  the  morning  he  sent  two  of  his  disciples  to  a 
spot  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bethany,  where  he  said  they 
would  find  an  ass  and  her  colt  tied :  these  they  were  to 
bring  to  him.  The  owner,  when  informed  who  needed 
them,  gave  his  immediate  consent.  There  was  an  old  pro- 
phecy by  Zechariah,  whose  favorite  theme  had  been  the 
coming  of  the  Messiah,  and  whose  words  were  therefore 
greatly  treasured  by  the  Jews :  "  Rejoice  greatly,  O  daugh- 
ter of  Zion ;  shout,  O  daughter  of  Jerusalem  :  behold  thy 
king  cometh  unto  thee:  he  is  just  and  having  salvation; 
lowly  and  sitting  upon  an  ass,  and  upon  a  colt,  the  foal  of 
an  ass."1  Even  the  triumphs  of  Christ  were  not  to  con- 
tribute to  human  pride.  Kings  advancing  towards  their 
capitals  in  triumphal  processions,  choose  all  the  pomp  and 
circumstance  that  can  dazzle  men's  eyes;  and  whatever 
glory  earth  can  afford  is  put  in  requisition,  amid  which  the 
recipient  of  honors  advances  with  a  heart  swelling  in  grati- 
fied ambition.  What  a  contrast  was  there  here,  where  even  the 
triumph  carried  with  it  lessons  to  pride  and  pomp ;  where 
humility  ruled ;  and  where  the  emotion  most  manifest  was 
to  be  in  tears  over  approaching  human  woes. 

The  principal  road  from  Jericho  through  Bethany  to 
Jerusalem  has  now  doubtless  exactly  the  course  that  it  had 
in  those  ancient  times.  After  leaving  Bethany  it  passes  by 
curves  and  gentle  ascents  along  the  offshoots  of  the  eastern 
side  of  Olivet,  until  about  half  way  to  the  city,  it  crosses, 
at  considerable  elevation,  over  the  southern  shoulder  of  the 
mountain,  and  by  a  gap  among  some  cliffs  emerges  on  its 
western  side.  There  the  city  and  temple  burst  suddenly 
upon  the  sight ;  and  as  the  ground  on  which  they  stand  haa 
a  slight  inclination  toward  the  east,  the  full  extent,  and  all* 

1  Zech.  ix.  9. 


THE  PUBLIC  ENTRY.  309 

the  picturesque  beauty  and  grandeur  of  Jerusalem  and  its 
surroundings  are  placed  fully  before  the  eye.  The  slanting 
descent  thence  to  the  Kedron  is  nearly  a  mile  in  length, 
and  most  of  it  is  in  full  view  from  any  part  of  the  city  and 
from  the  cloisters  of  the  temple. 

The  numbers  attending  Christ  had  multiplied;  and  as 
they  advanced  along  the  roads  toward  the  city  the  excite- 
ment constantly  increased.  They  had  an  indefinable  idea 
that  something  extraordinary  was  to  occur; — the  kingdom 
of  heaven  immediately  to  appear;  and  the  accordance  of  the 
present  scene  with  their  ancient  prophecy, — this  unusual 
manner  of  the  Messiah's  approach  to  the  city, — roused  their 
expectations  into  the  strongest  enthusiasm.  "Tell  ye  the 
daughters  of  Zion,  Behold  thy  king  cometh  ;"  and  truly  lie 
was  there  !  His  kingdom  mistaken,  but  the  mistake  adapted 
only  to  increase  the  powerful  sensation.  The  enthusiasm 
presently  broke  through  all  the  bounds  that  had  been  im- 
posed by  the  fear  of  their  rulers ;  the  people  from  other 
parts  of  the  country  being  indeed  less  fettered  by  this  than 
the  residents  in  Jerusalem.  The  multitudes,  as  they  hurried 
out  in  great  numbers  to  meet  the  procession,  gathered  up 
palm  branches1  such  as  they  were  accustomed  to  wave  in 
their  Hallels  to  Jehovah  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles :  and 
soon  the  cry  arose,  both  among  those  preceding  and  those 
following  the  Messiah,  "  Hosanna,"  (that  is,  "  Save,  Lord, 
we  beseech  thee"),  "  Hosanna  in  the  highest,"  u  Blessed  is 
the  King  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord :  peace  in 
heaven  and  glory  in  the  highest."  It  was  as  if  the  temple 
service  had  been  transferred  to  the  heights  of  Olivet,  the 
open  mountain  serving  as  God's  grandest  of  sanctuaries, 
with  spontaneous  worship  poured  out  there  from  overflowing 
hearts.  Christ's  enemies  had  quickly  taken  the  alarm ;  and 
Pharisees  mixing  with  the  crowd,  cried  out  to  him? — 


1  John  xii.  12,  13. 


310      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

"  Masted,  rebuke  thy  disciples." 

But,  far  from  disclaiming  this  worship  paid  to  him  as 
God,  he  replied, — 

"  If  they  should  hold  their  peace,  the  stones  would  imme- 
diately cry  out/'  Their  worship  received  no  rebuke. 

In  the  city  and  on  the  cloisters  of  the  temple  people 
gathered  in  groups  to  gaze  with  extreme  wonder  at  the  sight. 
Fresh  multitudes  were  hurrying  up  the  mountain,  at- 
tracted by  the  flying  rumors,  and  as  the  enthusiasm  was 
contagious  were  equally  joining  in  the  hosannas.  "Blessed 
is  the  King  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord/'  was 
repeated  among  the  cries :  and  the  throngs  were  now  cutting 
branches  from  the  trees,  and  strewing  them,  as  also  their 
garments,  in  the  way1  before  the  Messiah,  tokens  of  honor 
usually  shown  to  eastern  kings  in  those  days.2 

It  had  become  a  triumphal  procession  ;  and  the  shouts  of 
ff  Hosanna  in  the  highest,"  "  Blessed  is  the  kingdom  of  our 
Father  David  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,"  "  Ho- 
sanna to  the  Son  of  David,"  "Save,  Lord,  we  beseech  thee," 
floated  over  Moriah  and  over  Zion ; — a  worship,  the  sponta- 


1  Matt.  xxi.  8. 

2  Tholuck,  in  loco.     The  Targum  on  Esther,  x.  15,  says,  "when  Mor- 
decai  went  forth  from  the  gate  of  the  king's  house,  the  streets  were 
covered  with   myrtle  and  the  porches  with  purple."     See   also  2  Kings 
ix.  13. 

The  following  singular  incident  is  from  Robinson's  Researches,  Vol. 
ii.  p.  162:  "At  that  time  [just  after  the  rebellion  in  1834,  against  the 
Egyptian  conscription]  when  some  of  the  inhabitants  [of  Bethlehem] 
were  already  imprisoned,  and  all  were  in  deep  distress,  Mr.  Farran,  then 
English  consul  at  Damascus,  was  on  a  visit  to  Jerusalem,  and  had  ridden 
out  with  Mr.  Nicolayson  to  Solomon's  pool.  On  their  return,  as  they 
rose  the  ascent  to  enter  Bethlehem,  hundreds  of  the  people,  male  and 
female,  met  them,  imploring  the  consul  to  interfere  in  their  behalf,  and 
afford  them  his  protection ;  and  all  at  once,  by  a  sort  of  simultaneous 
movement,  they  'spread  their  garments  in  the  way'  before  the  horses. 
The  consul  was  affected  to  tears,  but  had,  of  course,  no  power  to  inter- 
fere." 


THE  PUBLIC  ENTRT.  313 

neity  and  heartiness  of  which  were  manifest  to  every  one 
who  heard. 

But  suddenly  the  noises  ceased  ;  and  all  turned  to  look 
in  new  wonder  at  him,  who  was  the  centre  and  the  object  of 
the  demonstration. 

He  was  weeping. 

Had  they  been  Pharisees  and  scribes  around  him,  using 
taunts  and  threatenings,  he  could  have  met  their  insults 
with  unruffled  feelings;  but  these  rejoicings  of  friends  and 
these  strong  demonstrations  of  affection  melted  his  heart 
into  tenderness,  as  he  thought  of  the  doom  gathering  over 
the  city  there  spread  out,  and  so  fair  to  look  upon,  and 
which  would  soon  leave  scarcely  a  vestige  behind ;  its  peo- 
ple, and  the  hundreds  of  thousands  who  gathered  there  from 
all  countries,  after  indescribable  sufferings  massacred,  or 
tortured  to  death,  or  carried  into  slavery  in  distant  lands. 
His  prescient  eye  saw  the  Roman  legions  encircling  the 
place ;  saw  the  rush  of  combatants ;  his  ear  heard  the  shouts 
of  rage  or  despair ;  he  saw  the  dying  and  dead  covering 
mountain-sides  and  valleys,  after  the  fierce  sorties.  He  saw 
the  Roman  lines  of  circumvallation ;  and  the  sickening 
scenes  within  them  throughout  the  city,  as  famine  was 
doing  its  horrible  work,  till  even  a  mother  could  feed  on 
her  own  child  ;  saw  the  madness  of  sectaries  among  the 
people,  till  Jew  was  murdering  Jew,  and  the  streets  were 
running  with  blood  and  were  covered  with  corpses  in 
the  fratricidal  combats ; — saw  finally  the  assault,  the  last 
struggles  of  the  people,  not  for  life,  but  in  the  madness  of 
death,  as  the  foreign  hordes  filled  the  streets  and  houses ; 
saw  the  temple  on  fire  and  people  throwing  themselves  by 
hundreds  from  its  battlements  to  the  great  depths  below, 
resistance  over — only  death  now  left. 

He  was  weeping ;  and  the  crowds  so  lately  filling  the  air 
with  their  joyful  cries  and  their  hymns  of  hosannas,  stood 
now  silent,  looking  on  with  curiosity  and  wonder.  He  said: 

27 


3H      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS.     ' 

"If  thou  hadst  known,  even  thou,  at  least  in  this  thy  day, 
the  things  which  belong  unto  thy  peace  !  but  now  they  are  hid 
from  thine  eyes.  For  the  days  shall  come  upon  thee  that 
thine  enemies  shall  cast  a  trench  about  thee,  and  compass 
thee  round,  and  keep  thee  in  on  every  side :  and  shall  lay 
thee  even  with  the  ground  and  thy  children  within  thee ; 
and  they  shall  not  leave  in  thee  one  stone  upon  another ; 
because  thou  knewest  not  the  time  of  thy  visitation." 

The  multitudes  heard  him  with  very  deep  sadness ;  but 
their  reverence  and  demonstrations  of  affection  were  unaba- 
ted as  the  procession  moved  on,  and  so  continued  down  the 
mountain  and  across  the  Kedron,  and  as  they  ascended  by 
the  eastern  gate  into  the  corridors  of  the  temple. 

The  whole  city  was  by  this  time  in  a  state  of  excitement; 
and  people  were  hurrying  about  with  the  inquiry,  what 
could  it  mean  ?  When  they  found  at  last  that  the  noises, — 
the  hosannas,  and  exclamations  were  ascending  now  from 
the  temple  courts,  thither  streamed  the  vast  city  population, 
— Pharisees,  Scribes,  Kabbis,  the  common  multitudes, — all 
in  confusion  hastening  there  with  the  hurried  question : 
"  Who  is  this  ?"  The  crowds  there  answered  : 
"  This  is  Jesus,  the  prophet  of  Nazareth  of  Galilee."1 
Immediately  some  left  the  crowd,  hurrying  back  to  their 
homes.  In  those  homes  and  along  the  streets  were  the  de- 
crepid,  the  diseased,  and  the  blind;  and  friends  hastened 
now  to  them,  with  the  thrilling  intelligence  that  Jesus,  with 
his  miraculous  healing  powers,  was  in  the  temple.  What 
news  to  them !  With  outstretched  arms,  and  appealing 
voices,  they  begged  to  be  carried  or  led :  and  very  soon  the 
throngs  about  Christ  were  pushed  asunder  by  eager  men 
forcing  openings  amongst  their  dense  masses  and  carrying 
the  diseased;  or  by  blind  men,  with  objurgations  and  entrea- 
ties in  the  same  breath,  making  their  eager  way,  disregarded 

1  Matt.  xxi.  10, 11. 


THE  PUBLIC  ENTRT.  315 

alike  of  priest,  or  Rabbi,  or  commoner ;  only  one  thought 
filling  their  whole  soul — that  wild,  strange  hope  that  they 
might  receive  sight  and  be  cured ; — their  hope  forcing  every 
thing  aside  so  that  they  might  be  quickly  before  Christ. 

The  throngs  yielded  readily  when  they  saw  the  cause; 
for  the  expectation  of  witnessing  miracles  became  immedi- 
ately as  intense  almost  as  was  the  hope  of  the  infirm  them- 
selves. The  lame  were  before  him  :  they  were  healed.  The 
blind  pressed  into  his  presence,  and  stood  there  for  a  moment 
or  two,  with  faces  showing  the  wrought-up  feelings  within, 
and  with  their  sightless  eye-balls  so  drearily  blank  and  sadly 
disfiguring.  But  only  for  a  moment :  for  at  the  word  from 
Christ,  those  eye-balls  changed ;  a  perceptive  power  had  shot 
in  them :  the  intensely  earnest  and  entreating  countenance 
was  suddenly  brightened  with  an  expression  of  wildness  of 
delight ;  the  spectators  saw  how  perfect  the  cure  was ;  and 
all  mingled  with  the  joyful  cry  of  the  relieved  men,  their 
shouts  of  praises  and  of  glorifying  God.  No  wonder  that 
there  rang  through  all  those  courts  of  the  temple  such 
spontaneous,  heartfelt  strains  of  thanksgiving  as  had  never 
been  heard  there  before ;  and  could  never  have  been  known 
in  the  formal  hymns  and  ceremonies  of  the  priests.  No 
wonder  that  the  hosannas  rose  up  louder  and  louder,  shout 
after  shout,  as  new  and  still  more  extraordinary  cases  of 
curing  occurred;  and  that  the  children  who  had  crowded 
there  with  the  rest,  and  are  always  in  their  warm  fresh 
hearts,  quick  in  sympathies  with  sorrow  and  joy,  and  quick 
for  open  demonstrations,  joined  readily  in  the  cry, 

"  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David !  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of 
David  !"  which  was  repeated  everywhere  in  the  courts. 

But  there  were  also  intensely  angry  faces  among  the 
crowds;  and  presently  men  rushed  up  to  the  Messiah, — 
chief-priests  and  scribes  they  were, — with  the  exclamation : 

"Hearest  thou  what  they  say?" 

Indeed  the  cry,  "  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David,"  was  a 


316     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

full  acknowledgment  of  his  Messiahship ;  and  unchecked  as 
it  was  by  him,  it  filled  up  the  measure  of  these  men's  indig- 
nation and  rage.  They  had  witnessed  the  miracles  just 
performed ;  but  in  them  sympathy  with  distress  was  extin- 
guished by  malice,  and  by  seeing  how  the  crowds  were 
carried  away  by  his  merciful  deeds.  They  gnashed  their 
teeth  at  the  hosannas  so  broadly  expressive,  and  broke  in 
with  the  inquiry  above : 

"Hearest  thou  what  they  say  ?"]  referring  to  the  children. 

"  Yea :  have  ye  never  read,  Out  of  the  mouths  of  babes 
and  sucklings  thou  hast  perfected  praise  ?"2 

It  was  a  favorite  method  with  the  Messiah  to  parry  their 
malicious  assaults  with  some  question  which  they  could  not 
answer,  or  which  threw  them  into  confusion,  in  which  they 
lost  their  power  to  hurt. 

The  Pharisees  said  among  themselves,  as  they  retired, 
discomfited  from  the  scene, 

"  Perceive  ye  that  ye  prevail  nothing  ?  Behold  the  world 
is  gone  after  him."3 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
AT  THE  TEMPLE.— WOES  DENOUNCED. 

THE  Messiah  returned  that  evening  to  the  quiet  of  Beth- 
any, leaving  behind  him  however  in  Jerusalem  an 
agitated  people,  full  of  emotions  of  various  kinds.  The 
hosannas,  long  after  night  had  spread  its  silence  over  the 
city,  seemed  to  the  rulers  to  be  still  ringing  in  their  ears ; 
and  the  scenes  on  the  side  of  Olivet,  and  in  the  temple, — 


1  Matt.  xxi.  15,  16.  2  Ps.  viii.  2.  »  John  xii.  19. 


AT   THE    TEMPLE.  317 

the  outburst  of  enthusiasm  among  the  populace — the  mirac- 
ulous cures  and  consequent  rejoicings  were  still  haunting 
them,  long  after  they  had  retired  to  their  homes. 

Their  chagrin  was  not  allayed  the  next  morning  by  rumors 
of  fresh  occurrences ;  namely,  that  Christ  was  again  in  the 
temple,  and  was  a  second  time  cleansing  it  of  the  abomina- 
tions which  notwithstanding  his  former  expulsion  of  the 
Colbonists  and  the  sellers  of  oxen  and  birds,  had  been  re- 
newed in  the  temple  courts.  "  It  is  written,"  he  said,  "  My 
house  is  the  house  of  prayer,  but  ye  have  made  it  a  den 
of  thieves."  Many  of  the  people  had  suffered  from  the 
haughtiness  and  extortions  of  the  Colbonists,  and  were  glad 
now  to  see  severity  used  upon  them ;  and  the  convictions 
of  all  were  with  him  as  regarded  the  desecration  of  the 
temple,  where  chaffering  had  once  more  taken  the  place  of 
prayer,  where  the  lowing  of  cattle  was  mingling  with  the 
sounds  of  people's  devotions,  and  the  spirit  engendered  was 
that  of  greedy  gain. 

When  the  place  had  been  cleansed  and  order  restored,  the 
Messiah  proceeded  to  teach  in  the  cloisters ;  the  multitudes 
still  retaining  the  enthusiasm  of  the  previous  day,  and  list- 
ening with  the  deepest  earnestness  to  his  doctrines.  But 
among  them  were  men  now  fully  bent  on  his  destruction, 
provoked  to  still  greater  wrath  by  the  events  of  the  morn- 
ing, and  by  seeing  how  in  every  act  whether  of  gentleness 
and  healing,  or  of  force,  he  was  carrying  with  him  and 
from  these  rulers,  the  affections  of  the  people.  They  "  feared 
him  because  all  the  people  were  astonished  at  his  doctrine/'1 
In  the  evening  he  returned  to  Bethany. 

On  the  next  day  he  came  again  to  the  temple,  and  recom- 
menced his  teaching,  when  the  chief  priests  and  elders  irri- 
tated beyond  endurance,  made  an  effort  to  overpower  him 
by  an  official  demand  respecting  his  power  to  teach. 


i  Mark  xi.  15-18. 
27* 


318     LIFE- SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

"By  what  authority  doest  thou  these  things?  and  who 
gave  thee  this  authority  ?" 

Their  object  was  doubtless  to  bring  him  into  discredit 
with  the  people  by  making  it  evident  that  he  had  received 
no  scholastic  training,  and  had  no  diploma  from  the  Rabbis : 
but  it  was  defeated  in  a  very  simple  manner.  Indeed,  the 
simplicity  of  means  by  which,  often,  their  chicanery  was 
foiled,  is  one  of  the  most  striking  things  in  his  encounters 
with  these  men.  He  said, 

"  I  will  also  ask  you  one  thing ;  and  answer  me.  The 
baptism  of  John,  was  it  from  heaven,  or  of  men  ?"  They 
saw  the  drift  of  the  question,  and  hesitated.  If  they  should 
say  from  heaven,  he  would  ask,  why  then  do  ye  not  believe 
him?  If  of  men — so  they  murmured  to  each  other, — "all 
the  people  will  stone  us :  for  they  be  persuaded  that  John 
was  a  prophet."  They  answered : 

"We  cannot  tell." 

"Neither  do  I  tell  you  by  what  authority  I  do  these 
things."1 

"We  must  frequently  observe  the  great  skill  combined  with 
very  simple  means  with  which  Christ  either  parried  or  re- 
butted the  attacks  upon  him  by  the  rulers.  They  tried 
every  method  for  bringing  him  into  a  dilemma,  some  con- 
tradiction of  himself,  or  some  position  of  danger  before  the 
people  or  before  the  government.  Lengthy  discussions  with 
such  men  would  have  been  unwise,  yet  it  was  necessary  to 
answer  them.  His  new  doctrines — that  for  instance  of  the 
kingdom  where  all  men  loving  God  would  be  equal  before 
Jehovah — were  often  adapted  to  produce  a  revulsion  of  feel- 
ing in  any  Jewish  audience,  yet  still  they  were  truths  which 
had  to  be  uttered.  The  cunning  of  his  adversaries  was  of 
the  sharpest  kind,  and  ready  t:>  take  ad  vantage  of  every  pre- 
judice among  the  people,  and  to  use  it  as  a  means  of  as- 


1  Mark  xi.  27-33. 


AT   THE    TEMPLE.  319 

sault :  and  so  they  came  with  questions,  often  frivolous  ones 
which  yet  required  attention ;  or  others  adapted  to  entangle 
him  in  a  variety  of  ways.  Sometimes  he  relieved  himself, 
as  in  this  instance,  by  simply  putting  a  counter-question : 
very  often  by  a  parable  containing  simply  an  answer,  or  a 
refutation,  or  perhaps  a  very  startling  doctrine  couched  in  a 
manner  not  to  give  offence  to  the  listening  multitudes,  of 
whom  he  was  evidently  more  hopeful  than  of  the  leaders. 
Sometimes  however  he  broke  through  all  trammels,  at  the 
risk  of  giving  deadly  offence  to  both.  Indeed  if  we  con- 
sider what  the  universal  prejudices  of  the  Jewish  people 
were,  we  must  believe  that  there  was  a  wonderful  attrac- 
tiveness in  Christ  to  keep  the  multitudes  from  discarding 
him  entirely,  after  some  of  his  bold  declarations.  Once, 
as  we  know,  all  did  leave  him  except  the  twelve,  and  he 
said  to  them,  "  Will  ye  also  go  away?" 

He  gave  now  in  the  temple-courts,  while  the  people  and 
rulers  were  about  him,  an  instance  of  this  boldness  by  utter- 
ing some  parables  exceedingly  sharp  in  their  tenor  and  ap- 
plication: for  the  conclusion  was,  "  Therefore  I  say  unto 
you,  The  kingdom  of  God  shall  be  taken  from  you,  and 
given  to  a  nation  bringing  forth  the  fruits  thereof."1 

It  was  a  prophecy  of  a  most  frightful  nature  to  them. 
The  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  were  aware  that  the  appli- 
cation bore  chiefly  on  them  as  the  rulers,  "  but  when  they 
sought  to  lay  hands  on  him,  they  feared  the  multitudes :" 
for  the  people,  even  with  such  a  terrible  warning  sounding 
in  their  ears,  had  still  the  glow  in  their  hearts  toward  him 
occasioned  by  the  incidents  of  that  day.  If  the  leaders  had 
attempted  violence  on  him,  the  multitudes  would  have  re- 
sisted and  a  tumult  ensued,  with  a  consequent  vengeful  in- 
terference by  the  Roman  government :  for  through  all  these 
scenes  the  guards  were  keeping  a  careful  watch  from  that 
tower  in  the  southeast  corner  of  Antonia. 

1  Matt.  xxi.  28-32,  and  33-46 ;  xxii.  1-14. 


320     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

But  a  crisis  was  evidently  approaching.  The  rulers,  in 
connection  with  their  intended  violence  toward  him,  were 
consulting  "  that  they  might  put  Lazarus  also  to  death ;  be- 
cause by  reason  of  him  many  of  the  Jews  went  away  and 
believed  on  Jesus."1 

At  present,  uniting  once  more  in  a  strange  fellowship  with 
their  opponents,  the  Herodians,  they  sent  some  of  their 
disciples  with  the  latter ;  and  both  having  made  their  way 
up  to  the  Messiah,  they  began  in  a  suspiciously-complimen- 
tary address : 

"  Master,  we  know  that  thou  art  true,  and  teachest  the 
way  of  God  in  truth,  neither  carest  thou  for  any  man ;  for 
thou  regardest  not  the  persons  of  men.  Tell  us,  therefore, 
what  thinkest  thou?  Is  it  lawful  to  give  tribute  unto  Caesar, 
or  not  ?" 

If  he  should  answer  in  the  negative,  the  Herodians  were 
there  to  accuse  him  of  hostile  feeling  toward  the  Roman 
government;  if  in  the  affirmative,  he  must  excite  the  hos- 
tility of  the  Jews,  to  whom  the  tribute  was  hateful  in  its 
nature,  and  burdensome  from  its  excess. 

He  saw  their  cunning,  and  the  wickedness  in  their  appar- 
ent compliment  that  he  cared  for  no  man,  nor  regarded  the 
persons  of  men. 

"  Why  tempt  ye  me,  ye  hypocrites  ?"  he  said.  "  Show  me 
the  tribute  money." 

A  penny  (a  Roman  denarius)  was  brought. 

"  Whose  is  this  image  and  superscription  ?"  They  told 
him  it  was  Csesar's. 


A  Denarius  of  the  time  of  Tiberius  Caesar. 


John  xii.  10,  11. 


AT  THE    TEMPLE.  321 

"  Render  therefore  unto  Caesar  the  things  which  are  Cae- 
sar's ;  and  unto  God  the  things  that  are  God's." 

They  gained  nothing  by  this  attempt ;  and  another  was 
now  made  by  the  Sadducees,  unbelievers  respecting  any  fu- 
ture state.  They  came  to  him  propounding  a  certain  case, 
intended  to  perplex  any  opponent  to  their  doctrine;  and 
they  were  answered :  and  then  came  a  lawyer,  "  tempting 
him." 

"  Master,  which  is  the  great  commandment  in  the  law  ?" 
He  answered : 

-  "  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart, 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the 
first  and  great  commandment.  And  the  second  is  like  unto 
it,  Thou  slialt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  On  these  two 
commandments  hang  all  the  law  and  the  prophets." 

He  himself  became  interrogator  now. 

"  What  think  ye  of  Christ?     Whose  son  is  he?" 

The  Pharisees  answered,  "  The  son  of  David ;"  and  some 
questions  on  this  subject  finished  the  colloquy,  and  the  pub- 
lic effort  of  his  enemies  on  this  day. 

But  it  did  not  finish  the  exciting  scenes  in  those  tem- 
ple-courts. It  was  a  mixed  assemblage  there;  the  rulers, 
Scribes  and  Pharisees;  the  disciples;  the  vast  multitude 
which  had  been  increasing  every  day  at  Jerusalem  for  the 
Passover,  and  which  had  gathered  up  here  to  hear  the  words 
of  this  Wonderful  Person.  He  turned  now  to  these  last 
and  to  his  disciples,  and  cautioned  them  against  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees,  showing  how  the  precepts  of  these  men  were  be- 
lied by  their  conduct ;  and  denouncing  their  hypocrisy  and 
vain-gloriousness,  their  impositions  on  the  people,  and  their 
assumptions.  Of  persons  wishing  to  be  his  own  followers, 
he  said, 

"  But  he  that  is  greatest  among  you  shall  be  your  servant. 
And  whosoever  shall  exalt  himself  shall  be  abased ;  and  he 
that  shall  humble  himself  shall  be  exalted." 


322      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

He  turned  then  to  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  themselves. 
His  words  recently  spoken  had  excited  the  astonishment  of 
the  multitudes,  for  they  were  not  accustomed  to  hear  their 
religionists  publicly  addressed  in  his  bold,  denunciatory  style, 
and  the  leaders  themselves  had  winced  repeatedly  as  with 
many  a  scowling  look  and  many  a  vow  of  vengeance  they 
had  listened  to  what  they  dared  not  dispute  with  one  who 
seemed  to  penetrate  their  hearts,  and  who  knew  their  lives 
so  well.  They  saw  also  the  looks  of  the  people  evidencing 
even  through  the  marks  of  astonishment  their  approval 
and  assent  to  what  he  said,  and  witnessed  with  horrified 
forebodings  the  enthusiasm  he  was  lighting  up  in  the  hearts 
of  the  multitudes,  who  were  evidently  fast  sliding  away 
from  the  Pharisaic  rule.  But  there  was  little  time  for  their 
observation  of  others,  for  he  turned  now  directly  to  them- 
selves, and  their  blood  curdled  with  rage  at  words  which 
now  fell  on  their  ears. 

"Woe  unto  you,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  for 
ye  shut  up  the  kingdom  of  heaven  against  men;  for  ye 
neither  go  in  yourselves,  neither  suffer  ye  them  that  are  en- 
tering, to  go  in. 

"Woe  unto  yon,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  for 
ye  devour  widows'  houses,  and  for  a  pretence  make  long 
prayer ;  therefore  ye  shall  receive  the  greater  damnation. 

"Woe  unto  you,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  for 
ye  compass  sea  and  land  to  make  one  proselyte ;  and  when 
he  is  made,  ye  make  him  twofold  more  the  child  of  hell  than 
yourselves. 

"Woe  unto  you,  ye  blind  guides,  who  say,  Whosoever 
shall  swear  by  the  temple,  it  is  nothing;  but  whosoever 
shall  swear  by  the  gold  of  the  temple,  he  is  a  debtor.  Ye 
fools  and  blind.  *  *  * 

"Woe  unto  you,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  for 
ye  pay  tithes  of  mint  and  anise  and  cummin,  and  have 
omitted  the  weightier  matters  of  the  law,  judgment,  mercy, 


AT  THE   TEMPLE.  323 

and  faith ;  these  ought  ye  to  have  done,  and  not  to  leave 
the  other  undone.  Ye  blind  guides,  which  strain  at  a  gnat,1 
and  swallow  a  camel. 

"Woe  unto  you,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  for 
ye  make  clean  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  of  the  platter,  but 
within  they  are  full  of  extortion  and  excess.  *  *  * 

"  Woe  unto  you,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites !  for 
ye  are  like  unto  whited  sepulchres,  which  indeed  appear 
beautiful  outward,  but  are  within  full  of  dead  men's  bones 
and  all  uncleanness.  Even  so  ye  also  outwardly  appear 
righteous  unto  men,  but  within  ye  are  full  of  hypocrisy  and 
iniquity. 

"Woe  unto  you,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  be- 
cause ye  build  the  tombs  of  the  prophets,  and  garnish  the 
sepulchres  of  the  righteous.  *  *  *  Wherefore  be  ye  wit- 
nesses unto  yourselves,  that  ye  are  the  children  of  them 
which  killed  the  prophets. 

"  Fill  ye  up  then  the  measure  of  your  fathers. 

"  Ye  serpents,  ye  generation  of  vipers,  how  can  ye  escape 
the  damnation  of  hell  ?"  *  *  * 

It  was  terrible,  and  the  people  stood  in  silent  astonish- 
ment and  awe,  wondering  to  hear  denunciations  poured  out 
in  this  burning,  lava-like  stream,  on  the  sanctimonious- 
looking  men  lately  so  lordly  and  pretentious,  now  standing 
mute  in  self-conviction  or  in  rage.  It  must  have  been  a 
strange  thing  too  to  see  those  features  of  Christ,  usually 
marked  with  such  gentleness,  mingled  with  grandeur,  now 
worked  up  into  an  expression  awful  in  its  power,  as  if  the 
terribleness  of  the  final  judgment-seat  were  here  being  anti- 
cipated and  exhibited  on  Moriah's  temple  heights.  They 
gazed  with  wonder  on  that  face,  lighted  up  as  they  had  never 
seen  it  before ;  they  trembled  at  words  so  terrible,  the  more 

1  In  a  former  page  was  noticed  that  they  strained  the  water  for  drink- 
ing, lest  they  might  inadvertently  swallow  unclean  animals ;  the  camel 
was  also  an  unclean  animal. 


324      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

terrible  because  the  multitudes  felt  their  justice  upon  men 
whom  their  better  feelings  had  long  taught  them  to  doubt, 
though  fear  had  kept  them  in  restraint.  There  was  a  mighty 
eloquence  in  the  language,  a  singular  force  in  the  manner  of 
delivery,  and  a  horror  of  doom  in  the  terrible  climax,  that 
held  the  people  in  breathless  wonder,  and  filled  them  with 
awe.  If  to  any  one  now  the  words  seem  to  be  too  terrible,  we 
must  remember  that  these  were  men  who,  thoroughly  wicked 
at  heart,  were  making  the  highest  claims  for  sanctity,  and 
were  exercising  the  largest  power  over  the  nation,  giving 
tone  to  society  and  character  to  the  country,  both  at  home 
and  abroad.  They  were,  above  all,  the  authors  and  conser- 
vators of  that  mysterious,  terrible,  unwritten  law,  which 
might  be  moulded  into  any  form,  and  in  every  form  was 
claiming  a  power  greater  than  God's  own  Word.  He  shows 
in  this  address  some  of  the  uses  to  which  it  could  be  applied, 
but  doubtless  we  have  exhibited  to  us  only  a  small  portion  of 
the  evils  of  which  it  was  the  origin.  The  people  had  always 
succumbed  to  these  men;  it  was  desirable  that  the  nation 
should  be  aroused,  as  if  by  a  peal  of  thunder,  and  if  it  were 
yet  possible  should  be  disenthralled. 

But  presently  the  language  changed.  The  speaker  turned 
from  the  woes  to  a  rapid  sketch  of  the  murderous  persecu- 
tions these  men  would  soon  instigate  and  carry  into  exe- 
cution on  "  prophets  and  wise  men  and  scribes"  coming  after 
him,  and  to  notice  the  terrific  visitations  gathering  over  the 
city  in  consequence  of  their  iniquitous  rule,  and  then  carried 
away  by  his  knowledge  of  the  horrible  scenes  which  he  knew 
these  rulers  were  bringing  on  the  city,  and  by  his  sympa- 
thies he  broke  out  in  that  lamentation  over  it  which  has 
never  been  equalled  for  pathetic  force  of  language  : 

"  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  prophets 
and  stonest  them  which  are  sent  unto  thee,  how  often  would 
I  have  gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gather- 
eth  her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not !  Be- 


AT   THE    TEMPLE.  325 

hold  your  house  is  left  unto  you  desolate.  For  I  say  unto 
you,  Ye  shall  not  see  me  henceforth,  till  ye  shall  say,  Blessed 
is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord."1 

Doubtless  it  was  this  lament  which  when  these  exciting 
scenes  were  all  over,  and  he  was  preparing  toward  evening 
to  leave  the  courts,  led  the  disciples  to  say,  as  they  pointed  to 
the  temple  and  its  "  goodly  stones  and  gifts :" 

"  Master,  see  what  manner  of  stones  and  what  buildings 
are  here !" 

They  thought  perhaps  that  the  sacredness  of  the  spot  and 
the  costliness  of  the  work  and  offerings,  a  hearty  tribute  of 
the  nation  to  God,  might  produce  an  exception  for  it  in  the 
foretold  doom,  but  there  was  to  be  none. 

"  Seest  thou  these  great  buildings  ?"  he  answered ;  "  there 
shall  not  be  left  one  stone  upon  another  that  shall  not  be 
thrown  down/'2 

A  quiet  evening  after  so  exciting  a  day,  fell  on  the  Mes- 
siah and  his  disciples  as  they  were  ascending  Olivet  on  their 
way  to  Bethany  once  more;  the  last  night,  it  was  to  be, 
which  the  Master  was  to  spend  in  that  house  of  kind  and 
hospitable  friends. 

On  the  ascending  slope  of  the  mountain  he  sat  down  for 
a  while  by  the  road-side  over  against  the  temple,3  and  against 
all  that  fair  scene  of  city  and  country  below :  temple,  palaces, 
battlements,  towers,  and  the  great  hives  of  human  habita- 
tions, all  distinctly  in  sight.  The  smoke  of  the  evening 
sacrifices  was  ascending ;  the  evening  sounds  of  a  large  city 
(sounds  never  noisy  as  with  us,  no  rattling  of  carriages,  but 
more  gentle)  filled  the  air;  it  was  such  a  quiet  and  calm 
and  fair  scene  that  it  might  seem  as  if  to  last  forever ;  so 
little  there  appeared  outwardly  to  court  danger,  and  so  much 
of  peace  and  innocent  enjoyment  and  repose. 

But  within  the  walls  there  were  fierce  and  hellish  passions 


Matt,  xxiii.  1-39.  2  Mark  xiii.  1,  2.  3  Mark  xiii.  3. 

28 


326      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

at  work  in  the  hearts  of  rulers,  and  secretly  and  with  silent 
steps  the  ruin  of  Jerusalem  was  now  drawing  near. 

As  the  Messiah  sat  there  by  the  road-side  gazing  down 
with  eyes  in  which  such  anticipations  might  be  read,  the  dis- 
ciples came  to  him  and  said  privately : 

"  Master,  but  when  shall  these  things  be?  and  what  sign 
will  there  be  when  these  things  shall  come  to  pass?"  He 
replied : 

"  Take  heed  that  ye  be  not  deceived/' l  and  he  gave  them 
signs  by  which  they  might  know  of  the  approach  of  the  final 
catastrophe  to  Jerusalem;2  by  observing  which  afterward 
it  doubtless  was  that  so  many  of  the  Christians  taking  re- 
fuge in  other  cities  were  then  saved.  But  the  scene  which 
he  sketched  there  to  the  disciples  of  their  own  future  must 
have  been  appalling  to  them,  even  with  the  dimness  of  com- 
prehension and  the  mistakes  which  still  affected  their  minds. 
He  said : 

"  They  shall  deliver  you  up  to  councils,  and  in  the  syna- 
gogues ye  shall  be  beaten,  and  ye  shall  be  brought  before 
rulers  and  kings  for  my  sake  fora  testimony  against  them/'3 
"  They  shall  lay  their  hands  on  you,  and  persecute  you,  de- 
livering you  up  to  the  synagogues  and  into  prisons,  being 
brought  before  kings  and  rulers  for  my  name's  sake."  "  Ye 
shall  be  betrayed  both  by  parents,  and  brethren,  and  kins- 
folks, and  friends,  and  some  of  you  shall  they  cause  to  be 
put  to  death.  And  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my 
name's  sake.  But  there  shall  not  a  hair  of  your  head  perish. 
In  your  patience  possess  ye  your  souls." 4 

He  promised  them  supernatural  help,  which  at  that  time 
could  be  but  imperfectly  understood  by  them ;  but  he  called 
them  to  meet  dangers  of  which  they  did  have  a  clear  com- 
prehension— the  hatred  of  all  men,  betrayals,  insults,  vio- 
lent death. 

1  Luke  xxi.  7.  •  Matt.  xxiv.  15-28 ;  Luke  xxi.  20-37. 

'  Mark  xiii.  9.  *  Luke  xxi.  12-19. 


THE  PLOT.  327 

The  world  has  never  yet  appreciated  the  heroism  of  Chris- 
tianity, perhaps  never  will  appreciate  it.  The  milder  qual- 
ities of  that  religion  —  gentleness,  peacefulness,  and  other 
traits,  meekness  and  forgiveness  of  injuries — considered  mean- 
spirited  by  the  world — are  so  much  oftener  dwelt  upon  in 
men's  minds  with  sensations  of  shrinking  from  them,  that  the 
great,  noble  heroism  of  Christianity  is  not  well  understood. 
This  itself  is  also  not  an  impressive  heroism  except  on  pecu- 
liar and  rare  occasions,  for  its  acts  lie  in  self-conquest  deep 
in  our  hearts,  in  a  fixedness  of  endurance  which  insults  can- 
not shake,  and  in  a  preparedness  for  death  itself  in  the  Mas- 
ter's cause,  if  that  should  be  required.  Persecutions  to  this 
last  extent  do  not  often  occur  now,  but  the  heroism  to  meet 
them,  if  they  should  come,  must  be  received  into  every  man's 
heart  before  he  can  be  a  Christian  in  truth.  The  Master 
led  the  way  in  this,  knowing  all  the  horror  of  such  an  end, 
and  feeling  it,  yet  meeting  it  still.  He  called  his  disciples 
to  it  here  on  the  mountain-side,  not  disguising  any  part,  but 
showing  clearly  what  they  had  to  encounter ;  he  requires  it 
of  his  followers  now — the  highest  and  noblest  feeling  in  man, 
courage  unto  death  for  a  principle  and  through  love.  Such  is 
Christianity  if  received  into  the  soul ;  such  in  its  incipiency, 
in  its  constant  staying  there,  and  to  the  last  gasp  of  life. 


CHAPTER  XL. 
THE  PLOT. 


WHILE  the  events  just  narrated  were  transpiring  on  the 
side  of  Olivet  the  Sanhedrim  were  in  session  in  the 
house  of  Caiaphas,  the   high-priest,  witff  the   determined 


328     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

purpose  to  take  Jesus  by  subtilty  and  to  kill  him,1  and  the 
seizure  in  order  to  be  successful  they  believed  must  be  effected 
by  night  not  by  day.  For  the  popularity  of  the  Messiah 
among  the  multitudes  was  now  so  great  that  an  open,  pub- 
lic attempt  would  only  recoil  upon  themselves. 

They  believed  that  it  was  necessary  now  for  something 
decisive  to  be  done,  and  that  their  action  must  be  prompt. 
The  scenes  of  that  day  in  the  temple  showed  that  there  could 
be  no  circumventing  him,  or  bearing  him  down  by  the 
weight  of  authority,  and  that  by  no  cunning  could  he  be 
made  to  commit  himself -in  the  eyes  of  the  government  or 
the  people.  In  all  such  plots  they  had  met  with  worse  than 
defeat.  And  the  closing  events  at  the  temple,  the  warn- 
ings against  them  and  those  woes  had  stung  them  into  a  rage 
which  they  felt  demanded  only  one  result. 

But  oven  among  themselves  there  were  men  now  secretly 
favoring  Christ ;  kept  from  avowing  it  through  fear  of  their 
compeers,  and  of  the  decree  that  any  one  acknowledging 
him  should  be  excommunicated.  "They  loved  the  praise 
of  men  more  than  the  praise  of  God,"2  and  perhaps  no  bet- 
ter example  of  the  crushing  weight  of  the  Pharisaic  power 
could  be  given  than  this  awe  felt  by  part  of  the  rulers  them- 
selves, sealing  the  mouth  and  preventing  any  outward  de- 
monstration, although  in  their  secret  conscience  believing  in 
Christ.  We  are  soon  to  have  in  events  to  be  detailed  an  ex- 
emplification of  the  subtility  and  unscrupulousness  of  the  San- 
hedrim exhibited  in  their  ready  violation  of  all  their  own  laws 
and  usages,  and  of  the  political  pretensions  of  their  whole  lives. 

They  met  this  time,  for  the  sake  of  secrecy,  not  in  their 
chamber  at  the  temple,  but  in  the  house  of  Caiaphas  ;  and 
there  they  laid  their  plans. 

There  were  several  very  serious  difficulties  in  their  way. 
In  the  first  place,  they  had  not  the  power  to  put  any  man  to 


1  Matt.  xxvi.*S-5.  2  John  xii.  42,  43. 


THE  PLOT.  329 

death.  Three  years  previously,  the  Roman  government  had 
taken  this  privilege  from  the  Sanhedrim :  and,  although, 
not  long  after  the  crucifixion,  Stephen  was  stoned  to  death 
just  outside  of  Jerusalem  without  authority  from  the  gover- 
nor, it  was  done  by  a  sudden  rush,  and  an  irregular  act  of 
violence,  not  by  formal  vote  of  the  Sanhedrim,  although 
doubtless  they  were  pleased  with  the  result.  In  the  case  of  so 
great  a  personage,  and  so  beloved  by  the  people  as  the  Mes- 
siah, any  such  deed  could  not  be  attempted ;  especially  at 
the  Passover,  when  the  governor  himself  was  at  Jerusalem. 

In  addition  to  this,  "  the  whole  criminal  proceeding  pre- 
scribed in  the  Pentateuch  rests  upon  three  principles,  which 
may  be  thus  expressed :  publicity  of  the  trial ;  entire  liberty 
of  defence  allowed  to  the  accused,  and  a  guaranty  against 
the  dangers  of  testimony.  One  witness  was  not  sufficient."1 
The  Hebrew  lawyers,  in  relation  to  cases  where  life  was  at 
stake,  maintained  that,  "A  tribunal  which  condemns  to 
death  once  in  seven  years  may  be  called  sanguinary."  "  It 
deserves  this  appellation,"  said  Dr.  Eliezur,  "  when  it  pro- 
nounces like  sentence  in  seventy  years :" 2  moreover,  according 
to  the  Talmudists,  it  was  not  lawful  to  try  causes  of  a  capi- 
tal nature  in  the  night,  and  it  was  equally  unlawful  to 
examine  a  cause,  pass  sentence  and  put  it  in  execution  the 
same  day.  The  last  was  very  strenuously  insisted  on.3  The 
proper  and  constant  time  for  the  sitting  of  the  Sanhedrim 
was  from  the  end  of  the  morning  service  to  the  beginning 
of  the  evening  service ;  sometimes  the  sessions  were  pro- 
longed till  night,  and  then  they  might  determine  what  they 
had  been  deliberating  on  by  day:  but  they  might  not  begin 
any  new  business  by  night.4 

The  forms  of  trial  also,  allowed  to  the  accused  every  op- 
portunity for  defence;  and  placed  the  greatest  restrictions 


1  Olshausen.        2  Olshausen.        8  Jahn's  Arch. 
*  Lightfoot—  Courts  of  the  Temple. 

28* 


33°      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

upon  judges   against    haste   in   action.    Says   an   eminent 
French  advocate  who  has  written  on  this  subject: 

"On  the  day  of  trial,  the  executive  officer  of  justice 
caused  the  accused  person  to  make  his  appearance.  At  the 
feet  of  the  elders  were  placed  men  who,  under  the  name  of 
auditors  or  candidates,  followed  regularly  the  sittings  of  the 
council.  The  papers  in  the  case  were  read,  and  the  wit- 
nesses called  in  succession.  The  President  addressed  this 
exhortation  to  each  of  them :  ( It  is  not  conjectures,  or 
whatever  public  rumor  has  brought  to  thee,  that  we  ask  of 
thee :  that  we  are  not  occupied  by  an  affair,  like  a  case  of 
pecuniary  interest,  in  which  the  injury  may  be  repaired.  If 
thou  causest  the  condemnation  of  a  person  unjustly  accused, 
his  blood,  and  the  blood  of  all  the  posterity  of  him,  of  whom 
thou  wilt  have  deprived  the  earth,  will  fall  upon  thee:  God 
will  demand  of  thee  an  account,  as  he  demanded  of  Cain  an 
account  of  the  blood  of  Abel.  Speak/  *  *  *  The 
witnesses  were  to  attest  to  the  identity  of  the  party,  and  to 
depose  to  the  month,  day,  hour,  and  circumstances  of  the 
crime.  After  an  examination  of  the  proofs,  those  judges 
who  believed  the  party  innocent  stated  their  reasons :  those 
who  believed  him  guilty  spoke  afterwards,  and  with  the  great" 
est  moderation.  If  one  of  the  auditors  or  candidates  was 
entrusted  by  the  accused  with  his  defence ;  or  if  he  wished, 
in  his  own  name,  to  present  any  elucidations  in  favor  of  in- 
nocence, he  was  admitted  to  the  seat,  from  which  he  ad- 
dressed the  judges  and  the  people.  But  this  liberty  was  not 
granted  to  him  if  his  opinion  was  in  favor  of  condemning. 
Lastly ;  when  the  accused  person  himself  wished  to  speak, 
they  gave  most  profound  attention.  When  the  discussion 
was  finished,  one  of  the  judges  recapitulated  the  case.  They 
removed  all  the  spectators ;  two  scribes  took  down  the  votes 
of  the  judges ;  one  of  them  noted  those  that  were  in  favor 
of  the  accused,  and  the  other,  those  who  condemned  him. 
Eleven  votes  out  of  twenty-three  were  sufficient  to  acquit ; 


THE  PLOT.  331 

but  it  required  thirteen  to  convict.  *  *  If  a  majority  of 
the  votes  acquitted,  the  accused  was  discharged  instantly  ;  if 
he  was  to  be  punished,  the  judges  postponed  pronouncing 
sentence  till  the  third  day :  during  the  intermediate  day, 
they  could  not  be  occupied  with  anything  but  the  cause ; 
and  they  abstained  from  eating  freely,  and  from  wine,  li- 
quors, and  everything  which  might  render  their  minds  less 
capable  of  reflection. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  they  returned  to  the 
judgment-seat.  Each  judge  who  had  not  changed  his 
opinion  said,  I  continue  of  the  same  opinion  and  condemn. 
Any  one  who  at  first  condemned  might,  at  this  sitting,  ac- 
quit ;  but  he  who  had  once  acquitted  was  not  allowed  to 
condemn.  If  a  majority  condemned,  two  magistrates  im- 
mediately accompanied  the  condemned  person  to  the  place 
of  punishment.  The  Elders  did  not  descend  from  their 
seats;  they  placed  at  the  entrance  of  the  judgment-hall  an 
officer  of  justice,  with  a  small  flag  in  his  hand;  a  second 
officer  on  horseback,  followed  the  prisoner,  and  constantly 
kept  looking  back  to  the  place  of  departure.  During  this 
interval,  if  any  person  came  to  announce  to  the  elders  any 
new  evidence  favorable  to  the  prisoner,  the  first  officer  waved 
his  flag,  and  the  second  one,  as  soon  as  he  perceived  it, 
brought  back  the  prisoner.  If  the  prisoner  declared  to  the 
magistrates  that  he  recollected  some  reasons  which  had  es- 
caped him,  they  brought  him  before  the  judges  no  less  thaii 
five  times.  If  no  incident  occurred,  the  procession  advanced 
slowly,  preceded  by  a  herald,  who,  in  a  loud  voice,  addressed 
the  people  thus:  'This  man  (stating  his  name  and  surname) 
is  led  to  punishment  for  such  a  crime ;  the  witnesses  who 
have  sworn  against  him  are  such  and  such  persons :  if  any 
one  has  evidence  to  give  in  his  favor,  let  him  come  forth 
quickly.'  "] 

1  "  Trial  of  Jesus,"  by  Dupin,  Advocate  and  Doctor  of  Laws.  Trans- 
lated from  the  French  by  J.  Pickering,  LL.  D. 


332      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

Such  were  the  restrictions  which  the  chief-priests  and 
scribes  and  elders — chiefly  Pharisees — should  have  felt  in 
their  deliberations  "  to  take  Jesus  by  subtilty  and  kill  him;" 
but  they  had  now  determined,  in  order  to  accomplish  their 
purpose,  to  disregard  all  restrictions  of  usages  and  law.  If 
they  could  seize  him  by  night, — well  into  the  night, — when 
the  multitudes  would  be  asleep,  they  might  avoid  an  uproar 
among  the  people :  if  they  could,  by  a  night  conclave,  estab- 
lish charges  against  him  and  condemn  him,  he  would  then, 
when  the  people  would  awake  in  the  morning,  be  in  an 
attitude  of  an  already  convicted  criminal ;  and  the  multi- 
tudes would  be  stupefied,  or  at  least  kept  in  a  state  of  won- 
der, and  thus  in  check :  moreover,  if  they  could  condemn 
him  on  a  charge  of  blasphemy,  the  most  hideous  of  all 
charges  in  the  eyes  of  the  Jewish  nation,  the  people  not 
knowing  how  the  trial  had  been  conducted,  but  only  of  the 
condemnation  under  it,  might  be  led,  by  a  sudden  revulsion 
of  feeling  to  swerve  from  favor  to  the  opposite  extreme  of 
hatred,  and  might  themselves  join  in  the  condemnation. 
The  rulers  might  also  work  on  the  intense  popular  feeling 
of  pride  in  their  temple,  by  charging  him  with  a  wish  to 
destroy  that  temple ;  and  could  enter  this  also  in  their  con- 
demnation. Then  there  would  be  but  another  step  to  be 
taken ;  and  the  way  for  that  would  now  be  prepared.  The 
Sanhedrim  could  not  order  an  execution ;  but,  they  might, 
on  the  charge  of  treason  against  the  Roman  government, 
induce  the  governor  to  give  such  an  order :  and  this  ruler 
was  now  in  Jerusalem,  ready  to  their  hand.  His  residence 
was  at  Csesarea ;  but  he  was  always  in  this  city  on  the  great 
festivals,  for  the  double  purpose  of  guarding  against  insur- 
rections, and  of  holding  court  for  the  trial  of  great  criminals; 
the  inferior  one  being  left  to  the  Jewish  elders  themselves. 
The  Sanhedrim  wanted,  in  this  case,  to  have  a  punishment 
inflicted  that  would  not  only  gratify  their  revenge,  but 
would  stamp  the  sufferer  with  infamy,  and  annihilate  respect 


THE  PLOT.  333 

and  hope  in  his  adherents;  and  this  could  be  brought  about 
most  readily  by  charging  Christ  with  attempting  to  put 
down  the  Roman  authority,  and  to  elevate  himself,  as  king, 
instead ;  a  crime  sure  to  bring  on  him  the  severest  punish- 
ment that  the  Roman  power  could  inflict.  If  the  governor 
\vould  not  listen  to  this  charge,  they  might  then  take  one 
step  further,  and  one  pretty  sure  to  be  successful,  by  insinu- 
ating that  charges  against  his  own  loyalty  could  be  sent  on 
to  Rome,  and  be  laid  at  the  feet  of  Tiberias,  whose  keen 
jealousy  of  power  and  unscrupulous  despotism  were  fully 
known  to  all. 

Such  was  clearly  their  arranged  plan  :  for  it  is  evident 
that,  through  the  whole  trial,  they  proceeded  according  to  a 
settled  scheme  of  action ;  and  the  suborned  witnesses,  previ- 
ously prepared,  knew,  when  brought  forward,  exactly  what 
they  were  to  say. 

The  meetings  of  the  Sanhedrim  were  properly  in  their 
own  room  by  the  temple  or  in  their  larger  council  house 
below ;  but  in  case  of  emergency,  they  might  be  held  in  the 
palace  of  the  high  priest;  and  this  was  to  be  now  their  place 
of  consultation,  as  there  it  would  have  less  publicity  than  in 
their  usual  places  of  assemblage. 

We  have  seen  on  a  former  occasion  the  kind  of  men,  of 
which  their  law  required  the  Sanhedrim  to  be  composed. 
The  high  priest  was  president;  and  in  order  that  the  reader 
may  have  some  knowledge  of  the  High  Priests  and  their 
title  to  respectability  in  the  Jewish  nation,  the  subjoined  list 
from  Lightfoot  is  furnished,  beginning  with  the  23d  from 
the  Babylonish  captivity ;  we  will  remember,  here,  what  the 
Jewish  writer,  Jost,  says  on  a  former  page,  "  that  a  priest- 
hood, which  the  king  [Herod]  conferred  on  whom  he  pleased, 
and  of  whose  incumbents  he  had  killed  two  and  deposed 
four,  &c.,  could  by  no  means  satisfy  the  requisitions  of  God's 
government,  and  of  the  Judaism  resulting  from  it."  The 
list  is  as  follows : — 


334      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

23.  Hyreanus ;  his  mother,  Alexandra,  an  ambitious  woman  and  the 
equally  ambitious  Pharisees,  rule  the  nation. 

24.  Aristobulus,  younger  brother  of  Hyreanus,  after  the  death  of 
their  mother,  makes  war  upon  his  brother,  drives  him  from  his 
kingdom  to  a  private  life,  and  takes  both  his  priesthood  and  his 
kingdom  to  himself.     They  both  desire  help  from  the  Romans, 
Scaurus  and  Pompey:  Aristobulus,  provoking  Pompey,  causes 
the  sacking  of  Jerusalem  and  the  subjugation  of  the  Jews  to  the 
Roman  yoke,  from   under  which   they  were   never  relieved. 
Pompey  restores  the  high-priesthood  to  Hyreanus  and  carries 
Aristobulus  and  his  son  Antigonus  to  Rome. 

25.  Alexander,  son  of  Aristobulus,  escaping  from  Pompey  on  the 
way  to  Rome,  is  made  high-priest ;  tries  to  subvert  the  govern- 
ment, and  his  effort  is  twice  suppressed  by  the  Roman  Gabinius. 

26.  Antigonus,  son  of  Aristobulus,  escapes  from  Rome,  and  gets  the 
high-priesthood.     Hyreanus  (23d  high-priest),  delivered  into  his 
hands  by  the  Parthians,  kneels  before  Antigonus,  who  bites  off 
his  uncle's  ears,  so  that  the  latter  might  no  longer  aspire  to  the 
high-priesthood.1    Antigonus  is  taken  by  Antony,  whipped,  cru- 
cified, and  decapitated. 

27.  Ananelus,  an  inferior  priest,  sent  for  out  of  Babylon,  is  made 
high-priest  by  Herod.     Alexandra,  daughter  of  Hyreanus,  com- 
bining  with   Mariam,  Herod's  wife,   had   him   deposed,   and 
caused  him  to  be  succeeded  by 

28.  Aristobulus,  fifteen  years  of  age,  of  rare  beauty.     After  one 
year's  enjoyment  of  it,  he  is  drowned  by  Herod's  order,  and 
Ananelus  (No.  27)  is  restored. 

29.  Jesus  son  of  Farans.     Herod  deposes  him. 

30.  Simon  son  of  Boethius.     Herod  married  his  daughter,  and  made 
him  high-priest. 

31.  Matthias,  son  of  Theophilus.    Deposed  by  Herod. 

32.  Jozarus,  son  of  Simon  (No.  30).     Herod  deposes  him. 

33.  Eleazur ;  made  high-priest  by  Archelaus. 

34.  Jesus,  son  of  Sie ;  gets  Eleazur  removed,  and  has  his  place. 

35.  Jozarus  (No.  32)  again.    Was  high-priest  at  the  birth  of  Christ. 
Removed. 

36.  Ananus ;  made  high-priest  by  Cyrenius.     Removed. 

37.  Ismael;   appointed  by  Valerius  Gratus,   governor    of  Judea. 
Removed  by  Gratus  at  the  end  of  one  year.2 


1  Jos.  Bel.  i.  13,  I  9.  8  Jos.  Ant.  xviii.  2,  {  2. 


THE  SUPPER  AT  BETH  ANT.  335 

38.  Eleazuiv  son  of  Anamis ;   appointed  by  Gratus ;   held  it  one 
year ;  removed  by  the  same. 

39.  Simon ;  appointed  by  Gratus ;  held  it  one  year. 

40.  Caiaphas,  also  called  Josephus.     He  was  Gratus's  creature  also. 

These  four  changes  were  made  by  Gratus  in  eleven  years. 
Annas,  or  Ananus,  who  had  been  high-priest,  four  changes  be- 
fore him,  is  said  to  be  high-priest  with  him,  (Luke  iii.  2).  Cai- 
phas  was  [afterwards]  removed  by  Vitellius.1 

This  will  help  us  to  form  an  idea  of  the  tribunal  plotting 
the  death  of  the  Messiah  by  subtilty,  and  before  which  he 
was  to  appear  for  judgment — a  body  of  seventy  men,  almost 
entirely  Pharisees — chiefly  such  characters  as  he  had  deline- 
ated in  his  temple  address ;  some  believing  on  him,  but  too 
timid  to  acknowledge  their  belief;  at  their  head  a  high- 
priest,  at  a  time  when  that  office  was  given  or  taken  away 
at  the  caprice  of  the  Roman  governor,  and  was  little  re- 
spected ;  the  Sanhedrim,  sufficiently  full  of  hate  itself,  and 
stimulated  still  more  by  the  other  Scribes  and  Pharisees. 
The  recklessness  with  which  this  body  proceeded  in  the 
trial  to  tread  under  foot  all  former  laws  and  usages  and 
went  forward  to  the  end,  shows  the  strength  of  the  venom 
in  their  hearts. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 
THE  SUPPER  AT  BETHANY.— JUDAS. 

THE  means  which  the  Sanhedrim  desired  for  effecting 
their  purposes  were  speedily  found.   There  was  a  traitor 
among  the  disciples  themselves. 

Events  have  just  been  multiplying  so  fast,  that  an  effort 


Lightfoot. 


LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

will  be  necessary,  in  order  to  keep  them  clearly  in  "Our  minds. 
We  therefore  recapitulate  and  observe  that, 

The  9th  of  the  Jewish  month,  Nisan,  corresponding  to 
our  Saturday,  (the  Jewish  Sabbath),  the  Messiah  spent  at 
Jericho. 

10th. — He  came  to  Bethany. 

llth. — His  public  entry  into  Jerusalem ;  returns  for  the 
night  to  Bethany. 

12th.— Comes  again  to  Jericho.  Cleanses  the  temple; 
teaches ;  returns  to  Bethany. 

13th.  Wednesday. — Again  in  Jerusalem ;  discourses  in  the 
temple.  The  woes  denounced.  The  Sanhedrim  have  their 
consultation  and  form  their  plans. 

On  the  evening  of  this  last  day,  after  those  denunciations 
in  the  temple,  and  the  quiet  scene  on  Olivet  where  the  disciples, 
in  the  anticipation  of  common  danger,  drew  nearer  in  heart 
to  their  Master  than  ever  before,  he  and  they  proceeded  to 
Bethany,  where  they  were  now  entertained  at  supper  in  the 
house  of  "  Simon  the  leper,"  Lazarus  being  one  of  the 
guests  at  the  feast.1  Among  the  Jews,  a  slight  dinner, 
chiefly  of  fruits,  milk,  cheese,  etc.,  was  eaten  at  eleven 
o'clock  of  our  time,  their  principal  meal  being  at  six  or 
seven  in  the  evening.  Their  feasts  were  always  at  this  lat- 
ter time.  Hands  were  washed  before  eating,  and  the  feet 
of  the  guests  or  travellers  also,  sometimes  by  servants,  or  by 
members  of  the  family,  where  particular  honor  was  in- 
tended,2 as  is  done  indeed  at  the  present  day. 

This  time  was  one  when  all  the  tender  sensibilities  of 
Christ's  friends  were  deeply  aroused ;  for  there  was  in  all 
of  them  a  sense  of  some  impending  danger  to  him — of 
probably  some  fearful  calamity ;  his  own  words,  the  known 


1  Matt.  xxvi.  6 ;  John  xii.  2. 

2  See  1  Sam.  xxv.  41 ;  Gen.  xviii.  4,  and  xix.  2 ;  also  "  Robinson's  He- 
searches,"  Vol.  iii.  p.  25,  describing  the  manner  in  which  the  feet  of  his 
party  were  washed  at  Eamleh. 


THE  SUPPER  AT  BETH  ANT.  337 

fierce  and  cunning  wrath  of  his  enemies,  and  the  scenes  of 
the  day,  all  going  to  show  that  a  crisis  must  be  drawing 
nigh.  Every  person  knew  that  those  woes  hurled  so  thickly 
on  the  rulers  would  not  be  forgotten :  these  men  had  never 
been  so  reprobated,  exposed,  and  in  effect  defied,  before ;  and 
all  this  now  by  one  individual,  without  resources  in  govern- 
mental help  or  powerful  friends.  Only  a  miracle  could  save 
him  ;  and  that  exercise  of  power  although  within  his  reach, 
he  had  intimated  he  would  not  exert.  He  had  said  that  he 
would  submit,  and  had  declared  that  his  death  by  violence 
was  near :  and  the  prophet  long  before  had  said  that  he 
should  be  "  led  as  a  sheep  to  the  slaughter,"  that  "  the  chas- 
tisement of  our  peace  was  [to  be]  upon  him/'  that  "with  his 
stripes  we  should  be  healed,"  and  that  the  Lord  had  "  laid  on 
him  the  iniquity  of  us  all."1  He  himself  knew  that  this 
would  be  his  last  supper  at  Bethany  among  these  friends ; 
for  his  hour  would  now  soon  come. 

While  they  were  at  this  meal,  Mary,  the  sister  of  Lazarus 
came  in,  and  opening  a  vessel  of  very  costly  perfume,  she 
poured  some  of  it  on  his  head,2  and  with  it  also  washed  his 
feet,  after  which  she  wiped  them  with  the  hair  of  her  head ; 
the  scent  of  the  opo-balsam  filling  all  the  house.  There  was 
a  secret  indignation  among  some  of  the  disciples  at  this 
waste,  when  they  thought  how  the  money  might  have  been 
spent  among  the  poor,  and  Judas  spake  out  his  thoughts, 
"  Why  was  not  this  ointment  sold  for  three  hundred  pence3 
[equal  to  $45  of  our  money]  and  given  to  the  poor  ?"  not  that 
he  felt  uncommon  sympathy  for  the  poor,  but  "  because  he 
was  a  thief  and  had  the  bag  and  bore  what  was  put  therein." 
The  Messiah  said,  "  Let  her  alone :  against  the  day  of  my 
burying  hath  she  kept  this.  For  the  poor  always  ye  have 
with  you ;  but  me  ye  have  not  always."4 

i  Is.  liii.  5,  6.  2  Matt.  xxvi.  7. 

8  A  penny,  or  Denarius,  was  a  day's  wages  for  a  laboring  man :  See 
Matt.  XTC.  2.  *  John  xii.  3. 

29 


33^      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

What  momentous  events  seem  at  times  to  hang  on  little 
things: — seem  to  us;  but  in  the  inscrutable  counsels  of 
God,  where,  and  where  only  his  purposes  and  our  free 
agency  can  be  reconciled,  they  do  not  seem  so  to  depend ; 
all  being  foreknown  to  him.  From  this  time  Judas  was  a 
traitor,  the  worst  that  the  world  has  ever  known. 

When  he  had  been  selected  to  be  among  the  twelve,  ho 
was  probably  a  man  in  character  and  disposition  much  liko 
the  others,  but  of  financial  capabilities  better  than  theirs. 
They  were  all  dark  in  mind  and  self-seeking ;  but  still  with- 
varieties  of  dispositions  and  intellect,  which  in  their  peculiar 
position  became  every  day  more  developed  and  marked. 
Christ  exerted  no  miraculous  power  over  their  wills,  but 
left  their  affections  and  wills  free  to  act ;  trying  to  influence 
them  by  his  own  great  example  and  teachings ; — still  leav- 
ing them  to  choose.  With  Christ  himself  before  him  day 
by  day,  for  about  three  years,  Judas  still  chose  the  wrong. 
What  a  wonderful  history  his  would  be  if  we  knew  it ; — 
those  transitions  from  bad  to  worse,  and  still  worse  in  his 
heart ;  the  struggles  there, — for  there  were  doubtless  such, 
early  in  his  case ;  the  admiration  for  Christ  gradually  less- 
ened by  base  passions  rising  in  him  and  taking  its  place: 
the  affection  always  weak  perhaps,  but  sometimes  lighted  up 
to  greater  strength,  then  flickering  and  dying  away,  and  at 
last  dead :  and  then  all  the  soul's  life  in  him  dead. 

Doubtless  Judas  endeavored  in  his  own  mind  to  justify 
himself; — as  what  man  in  his  case  does  not? — and  probably 
with  a  result  half  satisfactory  to  himself.  He  might  try  to 
consider  himself  an  injured  man,  led  on  for  three  years  with 
expectations  of  great  final  triumph  and  reward;  but 
thwarted  just  at  the  very  time  when  the  reward  seemed  to 
be  within  reach.  On  Monday  the  multitudes  had  saluted 
his  Master  in  terms  of  reverence  and  worship.  Once  be- 
fore they  had  endeavored  to  put  him  in  the  seat  of  royalty, 
but  he  had  withdrawn  himself  from  them ;  and  now  the 


THE   SUPPER  AT  BETH  ANT.  339 

outburst  of  enthusiasm  had  broken  through  every  restraint 
and  the  shouts  of  their  hosannas  had  rung  over  Jerusalem 
and  through  the  temple  cloisters.  How  easy  would  it  have 
been  for  Jesus,  sustained  by  his  miraculous  powers,  to  have 
made  himself  the  mighty  earthly  ruler  so  long  expected  and 
hoped  for ;  and  to  have  aggrandized  and  made  glorious  the 
whole  Jewish  nation !  And  in  refusing  this,  (the  traitor 
might  argue)  he  had  done  a  wrong  to  all  the  Jewish  people ; 
and  especially  to  Judas,  who  might  in  that  new  kingdom 
have  become  so  wealthy.  Worse  than  that,  he  had  offended 
all  the  rulers  and  insulted  them  (still,  Judas  arguing)  with 
woes  heaped  on  them,  and  insulted  the  nation  by  declaring 
that  God  was  withdrawing  his  favor  from  it,  soon  to  give  it  to 
another  people.  So  all  hopes  of  aggrandizement  and  wealth 
from  this  source  had  perished  from  the  mind  of  Judas,  who 
had  hoped  to  be  treasurer  in  that  great  earthly  kingdom 
which  all  were  expecting  to  see  established. 

One  other  bitter  ingredient  had  just  been  put  into  that 
cup,  where  every  drop  seemed  to  him  now  to  be  turning  into 
gall.  It  was  when  the  Messiah  on  their  way  from  Jerusa- 
lem had  told  his  disciples  that  they  should  be  everywhere 
persecuted,  betrayed  by  father  and  brother ;  should  be  hated, 
and  some  of  them  put  to  death.  He  had  spoken  of  the 
Comforter  that  should  be  with  them  and  of  their  inward 
peace  and  their  final  rewards  in  heaven ;  but  an  avaricious 
man  could  see  nothing  in  all  this  except  the  suffering  and  the 
persecution  and  the  losses ;  no  requital  to  a  heart  like  his. 

Here  now  at  the  supper  when  his  indignation  about  the 
waste  showed  itself,  he  was  met  with  a  reproof,  gentle  in  its 
tone  and  very  mild,  but  in  his  state  of  feeling  all  the  more 
provoking  to  him  from  its  very  mildness.  It  manifested 
such  a  want  of  an  appreciation  of  money  and  of  him,  the 
treasurer;  he  felt  also  now,  from  Christ's  insight  into  his 
character,  that  his  hypocrisy  was  to  him  unmasked,  his  mo- 
tive known  and  his  thieving  revealed. 


340      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

So  Satan  entered  into  him  now,1  unresisted,  and  had  the 
full  possession. 

One  thought  more,  and  that  was  quickly  supplied  by  the 
Tempter.  If  Christ  must  die,  why  then  might  not  he,  Judas, 
have  a  pecuniary  benefit  from  the  event  ? 

The  love  of  money  is  declared  in  Scripture  to  be  the  root 
of  all  evil ;  and  on  the  very  next  day  Judas  went  to  the 
Jewish  rulers  to  bargain  for  betraying  his  Master,  with  whom 
he  could  still  remain,  and  of  whose  movements  he  could  in- 
form them,  and  also  the  most  fitting  time  for  their  purposes. 
All  was  soon  agreed  upon.  He  asked  them,  "  What  will  ye 
give  me  and  I  will  deliver  him  unto  you  ?  And  they  cove- 
nanted with  him  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver/'  the  price  of  a 
slave  according  to  the  old  Jewish  law.2 


CHAPTER  XLII. 
THE  PASSOVER  FEAST. 

A  GREAT  festival  commemorative  of  the  most  remark- 
-£-*-  able  event  in  the  Jewish  history  had  come  down  to 
them  from  the  day  when  they  first  properly  began  to  be  a 
nation.  Their  forefathers  had  been  slaves  in  Egypt.  One 
night,  after  a  series  of  miracles  designed  to  set  them  free, 
but  resisted  by  the  Egyptian  monarch,  a  visitation  the  most 
appalling  possible  to  their  bond-masters  was  to  effect  their 
deliverance.  The  first-born  in  every  family  was  to  be  that 
night  slain  by  a  divine  judgment  throughout  that  whole 


1  Luke  xxii.  3. 

2  Exodus  xxi.  32.     If  this  money  was  in  shekels,  thirty  pieces  would 
amount  to  $15  05  of  our  money ;  if  the  Koman  stater,  to  $22  50. 


THE  PASSOVER  FEAST.  341 

country,  the  houses  of  the  Israelites  alone  being  excepted. 
It  was  a  momentous  time ;  on  the  one  side  seemingly  their 
last  hope  of  deliverance  from  slavery ;  on  the  other  a  visi- 
tation made  that  raised  a  universal  cry  of  anguish,  wailing 
for  the  Egyptian  dead  over  all  the  land,  and  those  dead  the 
favored  ones,  the  first-born,  in  every  house.  In  the  morning 
the  Jews  were  sent  off — deliverance  had  come. 

The  Feast  of  the  Passover  in  commemoration  of  this 
passing  by  the  Israel itish  houses  when  all  others  were 
visited  by  the  vengeful  messenger,  was  the  greatest  of  all 
the  Jewish  festivals,  and  brought  to  Jerusalem  the  whole 
Jewish  people  from  their  own  region  and  from  distant  lands. 
This  immense  assemblage  had  on  their  arrival  to  divide 
themselves  into  companies  of  not  less  than  ten  or  more  than 
twenty,1  and  each  company  had  to  prepare  a  lamb,  or  if  no 
lamb  could  be  found,  a  kid  to  be  eaten  on  this  occasion.  It 
was  to  be  a  male  of  that  year  without  blemish,  and  was  to 
be  brought  on  the  day  before  the  commencement  of  the  fes- 
tival to  the  great  altar  of  the  temple,  and  killed  there  be- 
tween the  hours  of  three  and  six  in  the  afternoon.  This 
was  to  be  on  the  14th  of  the  month  Abib,  (afterward  called 
Nisan),  the  first  month  of  their  sacred  year.  The  blood  was 
sprinkled  at  the  foot  of  the  altar,  the  fat  taken  out  and  thrown 
into  the  fire  on  the  altar,  the  body  carried  home  for  the  sup- 
per and  roasted  whole,  the  skin  given  to  the  owner  of  the 
house.  All  houses  in  Jerusalem  were  on  this  occasion  open 
indiscriminately  to  the  public,  and  might  be  used  by  com- 
mon right  during  the  feast.  The  flesh  not  eaten  at  the  sup- 
per was  to  be  burned  together  with  the  bones.  There  was 
also  other  meat,  called  the  peace-offering,  placed  on  the  table 
to  take  off  the  edge  of  their  appetites,  so  that  they  might 
not  eat  voraciously  of  the  Paschal  lamb,  also  in  case  it  might 
not  be  sufficient  for  a  large  company. 


1  Tholuck. 
29* 


342      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

At  or  before  noon  of  the  14th  all  leaven  was  to  be  care- 
fully removed  from  the  houses,  and  during  eight  days  they 
were  to  eat  only  unleavened  bread,  in  commemoration  of  the 
haste  with  which  their  ancestors  had  left  their  place  of  bond- 
age. Bitter  herbs1  were  also  to  be  provided  for  this  Paschal 
supper,  and  they  had  also  a  sauce,  called  charoseth,  composed 
of  things  sweet  and  bitter  pounded  together  in  memory  of 
the  clay  in  which  their  forefathers  labored  when  making 
bricks  in  the  land  of  Egypt. 

After  sunset  (now  the  beginning  of  the  15th,  by  the  Jew- 
ish reckoning,  their  day  beginning  at  sunset),  the  company 
assembled  and  took  their  places  around  the  table,  reclining 
on  couches,  (the  posture  of  freemen),  to  show  that  they  had 
got  out  of  servitude  into  freedom.  On  other  occasions  the 
Jews  might  choose  their  posture,  and  they  often  sat  at  table, 
but  at  the  Paschal  supper  their  rulers  prescribed  that  "a 
man  is  bound  to  eat  and  to  drink  and  to  sit  in  a  posture  of 
freedom,"  that  is  to  recline. 

That  was  the  usual  posture  among  the  Greeks  and  Ro- 
mans at  their  feasts.  They  leaned  on  the  left  arm,  a  cushion 
or  bolster  under  the  shoulder  assisting  to  ease  the  posture; 
and  if  there  were  several  at  table,  the  chief  person  occupied 
the  middle  place,  the  others  in  front  or  back  of  him,  or 
similarly  arranged  at  other  tables  placed  at  right  angles  with 
this.  As  they  reclined  slantingly  to  the  table,  so  as  to  bring 
each  man's  head  before  the  chest  of  the  one  next  behind 
him,  if  the  former  wished  to  speak  to  the  latter,  especially 
if  it  was  anything  secret,  he  leaned  his  head  back  on  the 
bosom  of  the  other  (in  sinus  recmnbere,  Plin.  Epist.  iv.  22). 
The  Gemara  says  of  the  Persians  that,  "when  they  could 
not  discourse  because  of  their  way  of  leaning  at  meals,  they 
talked  by  signs  either  with  their  hands  or  upon  their  fin- 


1  Ex.  xii.  8. 


THE  PASSOVER  FEAST.  343 

gers :"  and  the  Jews  had  probably  adopted  the  same  custom 
daring  their  captivity  in  Persia. 

On  the  morning  of  the  14th  of  Nisan  (our  Thursday)  the 
Messiah  sent  two  disciples,  Peter  and  John,  from  Bethany  to 
Jerusalem,  to  prepare  for  the  Passover  supper :  in  the  even- 
ing he  and  the  remainder  of  them  followed  to  that  city. 
We  may  easily  imagine  the  traitor,  in  this  to  him  uncon- 
genial, but  for  the  present  necessary,  companionship;  for  he 
was  watching  for  the  best  time  and  place  in  which  to  execute 
his  contract  with  the  Sanhedrim.  He  had  that  day  bar- 
gained with  them ;  had  returned  and  joined  the  party  of  the 
disciples ;  and  was  now  accompanying  them  to  unite  in  the 
Paschal  supper.  What  a  thoroughly  depraved  wretch  he 
must  have  felt  himself  to  be,  in  spite  of  every  effort  of 
justification  in  his  own  mind !  We  can  imagine  him,  some- 
times afraid  to  look  his  Master  or  companions  in  the  face ; 
sometimes  trying  to  be  brazen  and  composed,  but  failing 
continually  in  the  effort;  sometimes  shrinking  away  and 
wishing  to  be  apart  from  the  company ;  and  again  mingling 
with  them  in  order  to  prevent  suspicion,  and  because  he 
hated  to  be  alone  with  his  own  thoughts.  We  can  see  his 
eye  cowering  before  the  looks  of  others ;  or  assuming  an 
impudent,  or  affectedly-composed,  or  defiant  expression ; 
sometimes  startled  by  words  from  them  which  were  innocent 
of  any  particular  meaning,  but  yet,  in  his  convictions,  seem- 
ing to  be  pointed  at  him ;  often  wondering  whether  his  own 
changed  tones  of  voice,  or  his  unaccounted-for  absence,  in 
the  morning,  or  his  present  manner,  might  not  have  betrayed 
him.  He  followed  on,  thus,  over  Olivet,  and  into  the  city; 
feeling,  as  he  entered  it,  that  he  was  bound  by  a  hellish 
compact  with  the  rulers  there ;  and  that  men  so  determined 
in  malice  as  they  had  showed  themselves  to  be,  held  him 
now  in  their  power,  in  a  kind  of  triumph  through  his 
weakness  and  baseness.  He  had  seen  that  triumph  in  their 
gladness  and  the  glistening  of  their  eyes  that  day,  as  the 


344      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

compact  was  made;  and  he  knew  that  they  despised  him, 
while  they  were  thankful  and  glad.  Of  his  Master,  and  of 
that  long-continued  kindness  to  him,  and  gentleness,  and 
Divine  goodness,  he  dared  not  think  at  all,  to-day;  for 
every  such  thought  was  a  dagger,  and  made  him  shrink 
with  pain. 

They  proceeded  to  the  room  selected  for  this  meal,  and 
soon  afterwards  took  their  places  at  the  table ;  John  being 
in  front  of  the  Messiah,  as  they  reclined  on  their  couches. 
But,  alas !  even  in  this  time  of  deep  distress  when,  as  they 
had  been  informed,  the  hour  of  agony  and  death  was  close 
at  hand,  the  old  feeling  of  ambition  and  strife  revived.1 
Perhaps  it  was  on  the  question,  who  should  have  the  second 
place  of  honor  at  the  table,  which  was  always  the  one  just 
in  front  of  the  Master;  perhaps  it  had  originated  from  some 
other  matter  even  more  discreditable  than  that;  but  the 
Saviour, — how  merciful,  how  gentle,  how  Godlike  in  this 
mercy  and  gentleness! — said  to  them,  "The  kings  of  the 
Gentiles  exercise  lordship  over  them ;  and  they  that  exercise 
authority  upon  them  are  called  benefactors.  But  ye  shall 
not  be  so :  but  he  that  is  greatest  among  you,  let  him  be  as 
the  younger ;  and  he  that  is  chief  as  he  that  doth  serve.  For 
whether  is  greater,  he  that  sitteth  at  meat,  or  he  that  serveth  ? 
Is  not  he  that  sitteth  at  meat  ?  but  I  am  among  you  as  one 
that  serveth/72  &c.  So,  in  order  to  impress  this  injunction, 
he  arose  from  table  and,  laying  aside  his  upper  garment, 
took  a  basin  and  towel,  and  entered  on  a  very  menial  office, 
that  of  washing  their  feet.  By  the  usages  of  that  country, 
this  was  never  done  by  a  superior  to  an  inferior ;  and  when 
he  came  to  Peter,  that  impetuous  disciple  drew  back : 

"  Lord,  dost  thou  wash  my  feet  ?"  and  declared  that  it 
should  never  be  done. 


1  Luke  xxii.  24.  2  Ib.  25-27. 


THE  PASSOVER  FEAST.  345 

"  If  I  wash  thee  not,  thou  hast  no  part  with  me,"  was 
the  reply ;  and  the  startled  disciple  cried  out : 

"Lord,  not  my  feet  only,  but  also  my  hands  and  my  head."1 

Judas  was  amongst  them,  and  Christ,  doubtless,  washed 
his  feet  also.  How  the  conscious  traitor  must  have  shrunk 
at  his  touch ! 

The  company,  however,  was  not  long  troubled  with  the 
presence  of  this  man.  Soon  after  their  reclining  at  table, 
the  rest  of  the  disciples,  for  the  first  time,  became  aware 
that  there  was  such  a  traitor  among  them.  The  Saviour 
said : 

"Verily  I  say  unto  you,  One  of  you  which  eateth  with 
me  shall  betray  me." 

A  shudder  must  have  gone  through  them,  with  a  deep 
gloom  on  the  heart ;  and  there  must  have  been  a  quivering 
of  the  lip,  as  they  all  asked, 

"Lord,  is  it  I ?" 

No  consciousness  among  the  eleven,  but  a  query  by  each 
whether  he  was  suspected,  and  a  wish,  by  the  expected 
answer,  to  stand  acquitted  before  the  company.  They  turned 
upon  each  other  inquisitive  and  doubting  glances; — those 
men  who  had  been  with  him  so  long,  so  attached,  erring 
often,  always  dark  in  apprehensions,  grieving  him  by  their 
mistakes; — but  traitor!  who  was  the  miscreant?  Their 
glances  went  around  the  table;  their  feelings  were  warm 
with  indignation ;  they  were  ready  to  shrink  from  each 
other : — after  all  this  fellowship,  and  these  pleasant  commu- 
nings,  a  traitor !  Who  was  he  ?  Peter  could  bear  it  no 
longer ;  but  gave  John  a  secret  sign  to  question  further ;  and 
this  disciple,  leaning  back  so  as  to  bring  his  head  on  the 
Saviour's  breast,  asked,  in  a  whisper,  who  it  was.  The 


1  John  xiii.  6-9.  "Among  the  duties  required  from  a  wife  towards 
her  husband,  there  was  one,  that  she  should  wash  his  face,  his  hands,  and 
hia  feet.  This  was  expected  by  a  father  from  his  son ;  the  same  from  a 
servant  ioward  his  master." — Lightfoot. 


346     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

answer  was  a  certain  signal  by  which  John  could  know  and 
could  communicate  to  Peter  who  was  the  individual.1  To 
Judas  he  said : 

"  That  thou  doest,  do  quickly ;"  an  expression  enigmati- 
cal to  the  rest,  but  the  traitor,  excited  and  thrown  off  his 
guard,  asked — 

"  Master,  is  it  I  ?"     The  answer  was — 

"Thou  hast  said,"2  equivalent  to,  "It  is  thou."  He  left 
the  room  unmasked,  a  fugitive  from  their  company  and  from 
his  Lord — lost. 

One  of  the  disciples  gone,  and  he  a  traitor ! 

There  was  a  vacant  place  at  the  table.  What  of  the  rest  ? 
A  gloomy  feeling  fell  on  the  company,  such  as  there  always 
is  from  desertion.  A  vacancy  sometimes  has  connected  with 
it  remembrances  of  worth  and  nobleness,  but  there  was  none 
in  the  present  case.  Baseness,  hypocrisy,  treachery  were  the 
remembrances  that  Judas  left  behind,  and  there  was  no  wick- 
edness that  now  they  might  not  expect  from  him,  directed 
probably  against  themselves.  Contempt  for  his  conduct 
could  scarcely  buoy  them  up,  for  he  had  been  one  of  them, 
and  they  felt  that  the  baseness  had  been  directly  from  among 
their  own  company.  They  were  prostrated  in  spirit  by  the 
discovery,  felt  disgraced,  dishonored  by  the  recent  compa- 
nionship— what  suspicions  might  not  the  Master  have  now 
about  them?  They  looked  toward  the  vacant  place  with  a 
deep  sinking  in  their  hearts,  toward  the  Master  so  long  the 
beloved,  the  admired,  the  venerated,  in  their  inmost  soul. 
His  face  was  very  sad.  Could  he  doubt  them?  Nay,  why 
might  he  not  doubt  them  now?  Eyes  were  turned  again 
upon  him,  trying  to  read  in  his  face  expressions  of  confi- 
dence and  trust  in  them.  He  spoke  by-and-by,  and  the 
words  were  even  more  dark  and  gloomy  than  their  saddest 
thoughts.  "  All  ye  shall  be  offended  because  of  me  this  night, 


1  John  xiii.  23-28.  2  Matt.  xxvi.  25. 


THE  PASSOVER  FEAST.  347 

for  it  is  written,  I  will  smite  the  shepherd  and  the  sheep 
shall  be  scattered  abroad."  Even  on  the  back  of  this  asser- 
tion there  was  no  censure  of  them,  but  simply  the  promise, 
"  But  after  that  I  am  risen,  I  will  go  before  you  into  Gali- 
lee."1 Indeed  there  was  almost  too  much  prostration  of 
feeling  among  the  company  generally  for  any  sentiment  ex- 
cept grief;  yet  even  then  hope  was  given  to  them.  But 
Peter  spake  up,  for  his  heart  recoiled  at  the  thought  of  the 
general  desertion,  and  he  knew  not  yet  how  weak  he  him- 
self was.  His  voice  was  confident :  "  Though  all  should  be 
offended  of  thee  yet  will  I  not  be  offended/'  Ana  Lie  looked 
for  an  approval  of  his  bravery.  It  came  not,  but  the  an- 
swer, "  Verily  I  say  unto  thee  that  this  day,  even  in  this 
night,  before  the  cock  crow  twice,  thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice."2 
The  tones  of  the  Saviour's  voice  must  have  been  even  sadder 
than  the  words,  and  both  drew  from  Peter  with  still  greater 
vehemence  the  assertion,  "  If  I  should  die  with  thee,  I  will 
not  deny  thee  in  anywise."  And  the  others  said  the  same.3 
They  had  been  roused  up  by  Peter's  vehemence ;  their  feel- 
ings rallied  around  their  Lord,  and  they  broke  through  the 
gloom  consequent  on  Judas's  desertion  to  make  bold  protes- 
tations of  their  fidelity.  It  was  not  kept. 

The  whole  procedure  at  this  meal  was  specially  prescribed, 
and  according  to  the  account  of  the  Talmud  it  was  as  fol- 
lows : — 

1.  The  guests  being  placed  around  the  table  they  mingled 
a  cup  of  wine  with  water  over  which  the  master  of  the 
family  (or  if  two  or  more  families  were  united  a  person  de- 
puted for  the  purpose)  gave  thanks  and  drank  it  off.  The 
thanksgiving  for  the  wine  was  to  this  effect :  "  Blessed  be 
thou,  O  Lord,  who  hast  created  the  fruit  of  the  vine,"  and 
for  the  day  as  follows :  "  Blessed  be  thou  for  this  good  day, 
and  for  this  holy  convocation  which  thou  hast  given  us  for 


1  Mark  xiv.  30,  31,  »  Matt.  xxvi.  31,  32.  8  Ibid.  32-35. 


348     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

joy  and  rejoicing.     Blessed  be  thou,  O  Lord,  who  hast  sanc- 
tified Israel  and  the  times.7' 

2.  They  then  washed  their  hands,  after  which  the  table 
•tt  as  furnished  with  the  Paschal  lamb  roasted  whole,  with 
bitter  herbs  and  with  two  cakes  of  unleavened  bread,  toge- 
ther with  the  flesh  of  the  peace-offering  and  the  cliaroseth  or 
thick  sauce  above  mentioned. 

3.  The  officiator,  or  person  presiding,  then  took  a  small 
piece  of  the  salad,  and  having  blessed  God  for  creating  the 
fruit  of  the  ground  he  ate  it,  the  other  guests  following  his 
example,  after  which  all  the  dishes  were  removed  from  the 
table  that  the  children  might  inquire  and  be  instructed  in 
the  nature  of  the  feast.    (Ex.  xii.  25,  26).      The  text  on 
which  they  generally  discoursed  was  Deut.  xxvi.  5—11. 

4.  Then  replacing  the  supper  they  explained  the  import 
of  the  bitter  herbs  and  Paschal  lamb,  and  over  a  second  cup 
of  wine  repeated  Psalms  cxiii.  and  cxiv.,  with  an  eucharistic 
prayer. 

5.  The  hands  were  again   washed,   accompanied   by  an 
ejaculatory  prayer,  after  which  the  master  of  the  house  pro- 
ceeded to  break  and  bless  a  cake  of  the  unleavened  bread, 
half  of  which  he  distributed  among  the  guests,  reserving 
half  beneath  a  napkin  if  necessary  for  the  apkicomas  or  last 
morsel,  for  the  rule  was  to  conclude  with  eating  a  small  piece 
of  the  Paschal  lamb. 

6.  They  then  ate  the  rest  of  the  cake  with  the  bitter  herbs, 
dipping  the  bread  in  the  charoseth  or  sauce. 

7.  Next  they  ate  the  flesh  of  the  peace-offering,  and  then 
the  flesh  of  the  Paschal  lamb,  which  was  followed  by  re- 
turning thanks  to  God  and  a  second  washing  of  the  hands. 

8.  A  third  cup  of  wine  was  then  filled,  over  which  they 
blessed  God  or  said  grace  after  meat,  (whence  it  was  called 
the  cup  of  blessing),1  and  the  wine  was  drank. 


1  See  1  Cor.  x.  16. 


THE  PASSOVER  FEAST.  349 

9.  Lastly,  a  fourth  cup  of  wine  was  filled,  called  the  cup 
of  the  Hallel,  over  that  they  completed  the  supper  eithel 
by  singing  or  reciting  the  great  Hallel,  a  hymn  of  praise 
consisting  of  Psalms  cxv.  to  cxviii.,  inclusive,  and  also  with 
a  prayer.1 

If  the  Messiah  followed  this  order  it  was  doubtless  in  the 
fifth  and  eighth  parts  of  it  that  the  eucharistic  feast  of  the 
Christian  church  was  instituted  :  "  Take,  eat,  this  is  my  body, 
which  is  given  for  you ;  this  do  in  remembrance  of  me.7' 
"  This  cup  is  the  new  testament  in  my  blood,  which  is  shed 
for  you." 

"  My  blood  of  the  new  covenant ;"  for  that  is  here  the 
meaning  of  the  word.  A  covenant  is  an  agreement  between 
two  individuals  to  do  or  forbear  some  act  or  thing ;  a  con- 
tract: and  it  was  here  a  contract  by  the  Messiah  on  one 
side  to  be  sealed  with  his  own  life-blood. 

There  was  once,  long  before  this  time,  a  scene  of  great  so- 
lemnity at  the  foot  of  Sinai,  just  after  God  had  given  to 
Moses  on  the  top  of  the  mountain  the  written  covenant : 
and  that  scene  was  when  that  covenant  was  ratified  by  the 
people  of  Israel,  with  the  shedding  of  the  blood  of  victims, 
—burnt-offerings  and  peace-offerings  to  God.  There  had 
just  then  been  the  most  imposing  event  that  our  world  has 
ever  witnessed :  for  on  Sinai  there  were  "  thunders  and 
lightnings,  and  a  thick  black  cloud  upon  the  mount,  and  the 
voice  of  the  trumpet  sounding  loud  :  so  that  all  the  people 
that  were  in  the  camp  trembled.  And  Moses  brought  forth 
the  people  out  of  the  camp  to  meet  with  God :  and  they 
stood  at  the  nether  part  of  the  mount.  And  Mount  Sina: 
was  altogether  on  a  smoke,  because  the  Lord  descended  upon 
it  on  fire :  and  the  smoke  thereof  ascended  as  the  smoke 
of  a  furnace,  and  the  whole  mount  quaked  greatly.  *  *  * 
And  all  the  people  saw  the  thunderings  and  the  lightnings, 


1  Home's  "  Introduction,"  originally  from  Lightfoot. 
30 


350     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

and  the  voice  of  the  trumpet  and  the  mountain  smoking, 
and  when  the  people  saw  it  they  removed  and  stood  afar  off. 
And  they  said  unto  Moses,  Speak  thou  with  us  and  we  will 
hear :  but  let  not  God  speak  with  us  lest  we  die."1 

Their  leader  had  now  come  down  from  the  mountain  top, 
and  from  the  cloud  shrouding  that  Majesty  which  none  might 
see  clearly  and  live ;  and  he  told  to  the  people  "  all  the  words 
of  the  Lord,  and  all  the  judgments :  and  all  the  people  an- 
swered with  one  voice  and  said,  All  the  words  which  the 
Lord  hath  said  will  we  do."  He  wrote  down  the  words ; 
and  built  an  altar,  and  erected  twelve  pillars  to  represent 
the  tribes.  Then  on  this  altar,  they  offered  burnt-offerings 
and  sacrificed  peace-offerings  of  oxen  unto  the  Lord.  And 
Moses  took  half  of  the  blood,  and  put  it  in  basins ;  and  half  of 
the  blood  he  sprinkled  on  the  altar.  And  he  took  the  book 
of  the  covenant,  and  read  it  in  the  audience  of  the  people ; 
and  they  said, 

"All  that  the  Lord  hath  said  will  we  do,  and  be 
obedient." 

"  And  Moses  took  the  blood,  and  sprinkled  it  on  the  peo- 
ple, and  said,  Behold  the  blood  of  the  covenant,  which  the 
Lord  hath  made  with  you  concerning  all  these  words."2 

It  was  a  grand  and  most  solemn  and  imposing  spectacle. 
How  different  from  it  in  all  the  outward  seeming,  was  this 
spectacle  in  the  private  room  at  Jerusalem,  where  Christ  who 
had  just  before  laid  aside  his  upper  garments  to  wash  his 
disciples'  feet,  now  brake  the  bread  to  them,  and  gave  them 
the  cup  to  drink.  But  there  was  a  moral  grandeur  in  this 
simple  scene,  which  no  cloud  enveloping  a  mountain,  and 
thunder  and  lightning  there,  could  ever  reach :  for  he  said 
respecting  this  new  covenant,  "  This  cup  is  the  new  testa- 
ment in  my  blood,  which  is  shed  for  you."3  His  own 


i  Exodus  xix.  10-18 ;  xx.  18,  19.  2  Exodus  xxiv.  3-8. 

8  Luke  xxii.  20. 


THE  PASSOVER  FEAST.  351 

blood  it  was  which  was  to  be  sprinkled  on  all  nations; 
lie  the  sacrifice  for  all  the  world ! 

Tae  Israelites  moved  off  from  Sinai,  awed  and  frightened 
by  the  earthquakes  and  the  signs  on  the  mountain's  brow ; 
and  they  said  to  Moses,  "  Speak  thou  with  us  and  we  will 
hear ;  but  let  not  God  speak  with  us,  lest  we  die ;"  but  the 
words  of  Christ  draw  us  toward  him  and  toward  heaven, 
through  the  fullness  of  love  to  all  men  which  they  display. 

Having  finished  the  Passover  meal,  they  sang  their  hymn : 
and  then  before  leaving  the  room,  there  was  an  address  from 
the  Messiah  to  his  disciples,  and  afterwards  a  prayer,  to  both 
of  which  angels  might  well  have  been  listeners;  for  the 
words  seem  to  blend  together  both  heaven  and  earth.  They 
were  the  last  of  the  teachings  of  the  greatest  Teacher  earth 
has  known  or  ever  will  know. 

We  perceive  in  the  words  of  this  address,  shades  of 
thought  never  seen  but  in  the  truest  and  deepest  affection, 
which  always  has  promptings  of  its  own  peculiar  kind.  "  In 
my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions :  if  it  were  not  so  I 
would  have  told  you.  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you.  And 
if  I  go  and  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I  will  come  again  and 
receive  you  unto  myself;  that  where  I  am  there  ye  may  be 
also."  That  was  a  most  tender  as  well  as  true  regard,  which, 
when  he  should  get  into  possession  of  the  kingdom  in 
heaven,  would  not  be  contented  till  it  had  brought  him  to 
take  them  up  to  himself.  Yet  they  were  frail  men,  full  of 
darkness  and  errors. 

HOW  TENDER  AND  BEAUTIFUL  IS  THE  LOVE  OF  CHRIST ! 

He  had  now  almost  completed  his  mission  on  the  earth. 
He  had  been  our  Example  and  our  Teacher :  one  act  re- 
mained,— to  die  for  us.  The  cross  was  to  be  raised  up  be- 
fore all  the  world  as  evidence  of  God's  hatred  of  sin,  and  of 
the  unyielding  nature  of  his  law  against  unrighteousness ; — 
Christ  to  be  there,  the  expiation,  the  voluntary  sacrifice  of- 
fered for  all  mankind.  "  As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in 


3j2      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son  of  man  be  lifted  up  • 
that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
eternal  life.771  He  had  often  looked  forward  to  this  event 
with  shudd wrings  of  his  human  nature  at  its  horrors ;  yet 
he  turned  not  aside,  but  said,  "  For  this  cause  came  I  unto 
this  hour."  The  hour  was  now  close  at  hand. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 
GETHSEMANE. 

THE  traitor  in  the  meanwhile  was  busy  in  his  work. 
He  knew  the  habits  and  resorts  of  the  Messiah ;  and 
was  forwarding  preparations  for  the  seizure,  which  the  San- 
hedrim intended  to  make  this  night.  Their  plans  were  laid: 
they  had  now  a  ready  instrument  for  the  first  act,  bought 
with  their  gold.  A  company  was  formed,  subordinates  of 
the  Sanhedrim  and  temple,2  armed  and  sufficient  in  number 
to  bear  down  opposition:  but  strong  as  it  was,  the  chief 
priests  and  captains  and  elders  also  attended,3  to  see  that  their 
work  was  surely  done.  The  traitor  had  given  as  a  signal, 
the  act  of  kindest  friendship  in  salutation,  "  "Whomsoever  I 
shall  kiss,  that  same  is  he  ;  hold  him  fast.'74 

Silently  their  preparations  were  made;  the  traitor  some- 
times looking  to  see  that  the  company  was  sufficiently  large 
and  of  the  right  spirit;  sometimes  sending  his  thoughts 
back  to  that  supper- table,  to  the  agitating  question  put  around, 
"Is  it  I?77  and  to  the  sadness  on  the  Saviour's  face  in  that 
scene ;  and,  most  of  all,  to  the  words  respecting  himself  by 


1  John  iii.  14,  15.    »  Mark  xiv.  43.     3  Luke  xxii.  52.    *  Matt.  xxvi.  48. 


GETHSEMANE.  353 

Christ,  "It  had  been  good  for  that  man  if  he  had  not  been 
born:"1  and  sometimes,  perhaps,  he  queried,  whether  Christ 
would  not,  when  this  party  should  appear,  disperse,  or  over- 
awe them  by  his  miraculous  powers;  or  pass  unharmed  from 
among  them,  as  he  had  often  done  before.  Perhaps  Judas 
expected  this  last :  and  thought  with  a  high  degree  of  satis- 
faction that  in  such  a  case  he  would  still  have  his  pay 
secured. 

Thus  they  were  prepared,  and  were  awaiting  in  Jerusalem 
the  order  to  move. 

It  was  the  time  of  the  full  moon ;  and  a  mellow  light  was 
shed  on  the  streets  of  the  city  and  the  hills  about  it,  as  the 
Messiah  and  his  disciples  left  their  supper-room,  and,  pass- 
ing the  eastern  gate,  descended  the  slope  leading  down 
toward  the  Kedron.  They  went  along  in  sadness;  their 
minds  filled  with  the  solemn  events  at  that  Passover  meal, 
and  with  the  sense  of  the  fierce  trials  close  at  hand ;  and  as 
they  met,  or  passed,  company  after  company  on  the  way,  the 
festive  gladness  of  the  latter  came  jarring  on  their  hearts. 
How  easily  could  a  few  words  from  the  Messiah,  then,  have 
aroused  all  those  multitudes, — more  than  two  millions — in 
and  about  the  city,  and  have  made  them  the  quick  executors 
of  his  will  and  power:  for  the  general  enthusiasm  toward 
him  needed  but  a  spark  to  make  it,  to  all  opposers  a  consu- 
ming flame ;  and  his  miraculous  powers  could  also  have 
called  even  angels  down,  if  need  should  be.  But  he  passed 
on  in  silence :  he  did  not  desire  observation,  but  retirement 
and  a  few  hours  for  prayer :  and  he  would  then  be  ready  for 
the  self-sacrifice  which  was  to  drain  his  life-blood.  His 
hour  had  come :  and  the  deed  he  knew,  was  necessary  for 
the  redemption  of  our  race. 

But  still  the  trial  to  his  human  nature  would  be  horrible; 
and  he  felt  it  already  with  a  shrinking  and  a  quivering 


1  Matt.  xxvi.  24. 
30* 


354      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

through  all  his  frame ;  the  death  convulsions  foreshadowing 
themselves  during  the  silent  anticipations  of  that  night. 

We  cannot  understand  the  mysteries  of  the  divine  and 
human  natures  in  Christ.  All  we  know  is  that  the  human 
nature  was  such  as  ours,  with  all  its  capacity  for  suffering 
pain ;  and  that,  having  lived  our  life  here,  God  knows,  from 
his  own  sufferings,  to  pity  man: — also,  that  the  Divinity 
was  in  him  there  with  its  greatness  and  power ;  and  doubt- 
less too,  with  such  a  keenness  in  all  the  intellectual  and 
emotional  sensations  in  this  suffering,  as  our  minds  can  never 
comprehend,  and  our  hearts  can  never  know.  It  was  so  in 
all  the  life  of  Christ ;  his  intellect,  his  emotions,  not  simply 
ours  but  ours  sublimed  and  passing  off  to  those  of  the  God, 
though  still  having  their  home  here  on  earth.  How  far 
all  this  might  work  concentrated  horrors — infinite  in  extent, 
— into  these  few  hours  of  time  at  Gethsemane,  and  into 
these  anticipations,  and  into  the  sufferings  when  they  really 
came,  who  can  tell  ?  "  The  spirit  of  a  man  may  bear  his 
infirmities,  but  a  wounded  spirit,  who  can  bear  it  $"  If  so 
with  man,  how  was  it  with  Christ ! 

Across  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  and  somewhere  on  the 
slopes  of  Olivet,  was  a  garden,  Gethsemane1  by  name,  which 
he  had  been  in  the  habit  of  frequenting  with  his  disciples  f 
and  to  this  place  they  now  ascended ;  the  hushed  noises  of 
the  city,  and  of  those  of  the  multitudes  who  had  not  yet 
gone  to  repose,  scarcely  reaching  that  retired  spot.  The 
Messiah  felt  the  need  of  prayer — of  communion  with  the 
Father,  and  of  strengthening  for  the  coming  hours,  in  which 
his  human  nature  would  be  so  fearfully  tried.  Having 
reached  Gethsemane,  he  said  to  the  disciples,  u  Pray  that  ye 
enter  not  into  temptation ;"  and  then,  taking  Peter,  and 
James,  and  John,  he  went  with  them  further  into  the  garden 
apart  from  the  rest.  Here,  also,  he  left  these  three,  saying, 


Meaning  "place  of  olive  presses."  2  John  xviii.  2. 


GETHSEMANE.  355 

as  he  did  so,  "  My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto 
death :"  and  he  went  then  further,  alone,  for  prayer.  He 
fell  on  his  face ;  and  it  was  a  time  of  anguish  such  as  no 
human  thought  can  ever  reach.  We  know  it  but  in  part 
from  his  words  of  prayer,  "O  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let 
this  cup  pass  from  me ;"  "take  away  this  cup  from  me;"1  yet, 
with  the  addition,  "  nevertheless,  not  what  I  will,  but  what 
thou  wilt."  The  fearfulness  of  the  struggle  in  him  is  only 
shadowed  to  us ;  for  the  reality  cannot  be  reached  by  words. 
"Sorrowful,  even  unto  death"  and  that  in  Christ!  in  him 
who  had  come  to  suffer,  and  to  redeem  the  world  by  suffer- 
ing this  death,  and  had  predicted  it  frequently,  and  had 
advanced  steadily  toward  it,  but  was  now  involved  in 
horror  so  great  that,  for  a  moment,  this  had  the  mastery. 
What  must  the  agony  in  that  prayer  have  been ;  even  the 
Divine  nature  borne  down,  as  if  dissolution  were  near ! 
What  a  depth  of  horror  was  there!  Yet,  "not  as  I  will, 
but  as  thou  wilt ;"  and  with  those  words  the  fierceness  of 
that  almost  mortal  anguish  passed  away. 

The  prayer  was  brief;  for  such  sensations  could  not  be 
endured  by  any  human  nature  long ;  and  he  came  back  to 
wrhere  the  three  disciples  had  been  left.  They  were  asleep. 
How  different  their  quiet  rest,  their  unconsciousness,  the 
relaxed  limbs  and  the  breathing  in  their  deep  repose,  from 
the  agony  that  had  just  been  almost  crushing  him,  and  which 
still  made  itself  felt  in  all  his  system  !  The  night,  also,  so 
mellow  and  so  calm  !  The  light  of  the  full  moon  over  the 
hushed  landscape ;  and  the  soft  music  of  the  nightingales 
harmonizing  with  all  else  made  it  a  scene  of  perfect  mid- 
night beauty;  but  all  this — the  mellowness,  the  beauty, 
the  nightingales'  song, — all  jarred  terribly  on  a  nature  so 
distressed  and  just  now  so  wildly  tossed  with  horror, — almost 
so  abandoned,  seemingly,  of  heaven  and  earth. 


1  Matt.  xxvi.  39 ;  Mark  xiv.  36. 


35^     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

He  awoke  the  disciples  with  words  of  half  reproach,  but 
which,  in  his  gentle  nature,  were  qualified  immediately  with 
an  apology  for  them :  "  What !  could  ye  not  watch  with  me 
one  hour?  Watch  and  pray  that  ye  enter  not  into  tempta- 
tion :  the  spirit  indeed  is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak."1 

He  left  them  a  second  time,  retiring  once  more  for  prayer, 
and  the  convulsion  of  anguish  again  passed  over  him,  but 
modified  by  an  entire  resignation  to  the  will  of  God.  "  O 
my  Father,  if  this  cup  may  not  pass  away  from  me,  except 
I  drink  it,  thy  will  be  done."  The  convulsions  that  seemed 
as  of  a  divinity  perishing,  "my  soul  sorrowful  unto  death," 
must  have  been  indeed  frightful  beyond  any  but  infinite 
power  to  understand. 

He  came  back  again  to  the  three  disciples,  and  found  them 
as  before  in  deep  and  quiet  sleep,  for  it  was  late  now  and 
"  their  eyes  were  heavy."  Again,  in  strong  contrast  to  his 
own  feelings  was  that  hush  in  all  the  scene,  as  if  nature 
might  be  almost  in  mockery  of  its  Master ;  the  world  in  its 
perfectness  of  repose  appearing  to  have  shut  him  out  and  to  be 
closed  against  him  abandoned  in  his  agony ;  and  yet  it  was 
to  ransom  its  millions  and  bring  them  to  salvation  that  he 
was  about  to  suffer.  He  spoke  to  the  disciples  again,  but 
they  answered  him  confusedly  and  only  half  aroused,  and  he 
left  them  once  more  for  his  retirement  and  prayer.  There 
was  a  strange  restlessness  in  the  Messiah  that  night,  a  part 
of  the  terrible  nervous  strain  upon  his  system,  and  of  the 
agitations  of  his  internal  being — how  different  from  his 
former  long  seasons  of  quiet  communion  with  God  on  the 
mountains  of  Galilee !  These  were  briefer,  broken  times  of 
prayer,  with  an  agitation  that  could  not  long  admit  of  quiet 
even  in  such  communion.  FOR  THE  PRAYER  ITSELF  WAS  A 
CONVULSION;  and  during  this  third  one  a  sweat  of  blood 
broke  out  upon  him,  the  bloody  perspiration  falling  in  great 


1  Matt.  xxvi.  41. 


GETHSEMANE.  357 

drops  to  the  ground.1  In  that  anguish,  which  brought  the 
blood  thus  oozing  from  his  face  and  body,  an  angel  came  to 
his  side  to  sustain  and  comfort  him. 

Mortal  man  may  never  fathom  the  depth  of  that  agony  in 
Gethsemane ! 

He  came  a  third  time  to  his  disciples,  and  told  them  that 
the  hour  was  now  at  hand. 

This  was  indeed  soon  apparent  even  to  their  half-aroused 
consciousness ;  for  torches  and  lanterns  were  now  seen  gleam- 
ing amid  the  garden-alleys  on  Olivet,  and  voices  coming 
nearer  were  heard,  and  very  soon  the  company  in  Gethse- 
mane were  all  surrounded  by  a^rude  multitude  armed  with 
swords  and  staves.  Judas  came  forward : 

'"  Hail,  Master !"  and  he  kissed  him. 

The  others  pressed  around. 

"  Whom  seek  ye?"  the  Messiah  asked. 

"Jesus  of  Nazareth." 

"  I  am  he/'  he  said,  and  faced  them  calmly,  and  as  he  did 
so  the  company  shrank  down  before  him,  for  there  was  a 
strange  power  in  that  Presence  even  there,  although  his 
greatest  humiliations  were  begun.  Urged  on,  however,  by 
their  leaders  the  armed  men  seized  him,  and  a  scene  of  con- 
fusion for  a  little  while  ensued.  Peter  made  resistance,  and 
a  servant  of  the  high-priest  was  maimed,  but  Christ  healed 
the  man  adding  a  reproof  to  his  follower  for  the  act :  "  Put 
up  thy  sword  into  the  sheath;  the  cup  which  my  Father 


1  Luke  xxii.  44.  Dr.  Mead  from  Galen,  observes :  Contingere  inter- 
dum  poros,  ex  multo  aut  fervido  spiritu  adeo  dilatari,  ut  etiam  exeat  san- 
guis  per  eos,  fiatque  sudor  sanguineus :  It  happens  sometimes  that  by  great 
or  deep  mental  agitation  the  pores  are  so  much  dilated  that  blood  issues  from 
them  and  there  is  a  bloody  sweat.  (Quoted  from  Clarke's  Commentary.) 
"  An  interesting  example  of  a  sweat  of  blood,  under  circumstances  of  ter- 
ror, accompanied  by  loss  of  speech  is  given  in  an  article  by  Dr.  Schneider 
in  Casper's  Wochenschrift  for  1848,  and  cited  in  the  Medical  Gazette  for 
that  yeax."—Alford. 


LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

hath  given  me,  shall  I  not  drink  it  ?" ]  He  said  also  to 
Peter,  "  Thinkest  thou  that  I  cannot  now  pray  to  my  Father, 
and  he  shall  presently  give  me  more  than  twelve  legions  of 
angels  ?  But  how  then  shall  the  Scriptures  be  fulfilled  that 
thus  it  must  be."2  He  spoke  further  to  the  leaders,  asking 
why  they  had  come  as  against  a  thief  with  swords  and 
staves?  He  asked  no  favors  of  them  for  himself,  but  for  his 
disciples  that  they  might  be  allowed  to  depart  uninjured. 
They  proceeded  immediately  to  bind  him,3  and  then  led  him 
away.  The  disciples  fled.4 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 
HALL   OF  CAIAPHAS. 

THE  Pharisees  and  chief  priests  and  rulers  had  so  far 
succeeded.  It  was  night,  and  the  millions  at  the  pass- 
over  having  eaten  the  paschal  supper  were  now  asleep.  A 
comparative  quiet  reigned  in  Jerusalem  and  through  its 
suburbs  and  on  Olivet,  as  the  armed  men  having  the  Mes- 
siah now  bound  in  their  charge  passed  back  in  the  city  and 
threaded  its  streets.  They  were  conducted  first  to  the  house  of 
Annas.  This  individual,  called  also  Ananus,  had  been  high- 
priest  himself,  and  was  yet  styled  such  as  a  token  of  respect ; 
he  was  father-in-law  to  Caiaphas,  at  present  in  the  high 
priesthood,  and  father  also  of  Eleazar,  late  high-priest,  and 
was  moreover  at  this  time  Sagan  or  prefect  to  the  priests,  an 
office  of  which  there  is  frequent  mention  among  the  Rab- 
bins.6 His  age  and  his  former  and  present  offices  gave  his 

1  John  xviii.  11.  2  Matt.  xxvi.  53,  54. 

8  John  xviii.  8,  12.  *  Mark  xiv.  50. 

5  Lightfoot,  in  loco. 


HALL   OF  CAIAPHAS.  359 

opinions  weight;  and  the  proceedings  of  this  night,  all  so 
irregular  in  their  character,  needed  every  extraneous  aid  that 
could  be  procured  in  order  to  shield  the  perpetrators.  For 
in  the  morning  when  the  multitudes  would  wake  up  and 
receive  information  of  these  acts  during  the  night,  there 
would  be  a  great  excitment  and  many  inquiries  would  be 
started  tending  to  a  tumult,  against  all  which  they  desired 
to  be  able  immediately  to  present  the  highest  Jewish  autho- 
rity. Annas  had  no  power  as  a  judge,  and  any  meeting  at 
his  house  would  be  an  informal  one,  but  it  was  important 
to  be  able  to  quote  his  opinion  in  a  decided  manner  before 
the  populace. 

From  his  house  they  proceeded  very  soon  to  the  palace  of 
Caiaphas  himself.  The  Sanhedrim  in  the  meantime  had 
been  collecting  there,  and  the  Messiah  still  bound  was  now 
in  the  presence  of  his  judges  evidently  met  not  for  trial  but 
for  condemnation.  The  case  had  been  already  in  their  minds 
fully  prejudged.  This  was  not,  however,  a  formal  sitting  of 
the  Sanhedrim  ;  for  such  according  to  their  laws  could  not  be 
held  by  night,  and  no  trial  could  regularly  be  commenced  at 
night ;  and  as  these  judges  would  in  the  morning  be  on  trial 
themselves  in  the  minds  of  the  people,  it  was  necessary  to 
keep  up  the  appearance  of  adhering  to  the  forms  of  law. 
All  the  while  over  the  Sanhedrim  hung  the  dread  of  the 
populace  and  of  tumults,  and  of  thus  being  foiled  at  last. 
They  planned  that  when  their  decision  should  come  before 
the  people  it  should  come  suddenly,  and  should  be  a  deci- 
sion adapted  to  stamp  such  black  infamy  upon  the  accused 
as  would  astound  and  stupefy  the  hearers,  until  the  gover- 
nor's quickly-added  judgment  should  put  the  whole  matter 
into  the  hands  of  the  military,  and  not  only  defy  resistance 
from  the  multitudes,  but  also  save  the  Sanhedrim  from  the 
consequences  of  possible  tumult  by  having  made  it  a  govern- 
mental affair.  Therefore  the  object  was  to  have  now  a  secret 
examination  in  order  that  all  preparations  might  be  made 


360      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

for  a  quick  decision  in  the  formal,  regular  meeting,  which 
the  Sanhedrim  would  afterwards  have  at  earliest  dawn. 

The  house  at  Damascus,  described  in  chapter  xix.  of  this 
book,  will  afford  us  a  good  idea  of  the  plan  of  this  one  of 
Caiaphas ;  but  the  latter  was  probably  on  a  much  larger  scale, 
and  its  raised  reception  room  at  the  side  of  the  court  was  of 
sufficient  proportions  to  accommodate  the  council  now  assem- 
bled. We  may  presume  that  instead  of  a  recess  with  one 
arch  and  divan,  as  in  the  former  house,  this  had  several 
arches  and  columns  separating  its  large  hall  from  the  court, 
but  with  no  other  division  between  it  and  the  spectators  in  the 
court.  As  the  high-priest  was  president  of  the  Sanhedrim, 
his  palace  would  in  all  probability  have  such  a  place  for 
public  trials,  where  the  proceedings  both  within  the  hall  and 
without  would  be  open  to  inspection  on  either  side.  The 
present  was  however  very  far  from  being  a  public  trial,  but 
was  a  secret  conclave  as  it  had  need  to  be.  Peter  who  had 
followed  his  Master  at  a  distance  found,  on  presenting  him- 
self, that  the  doors  were  closed  against  him,  and  he  was  ad- 
mitted only  at  the  solicitation  of  John,  who  was  known  to  the 
high-priest,  and  who  spoke  to  the  woman  doing  duty  as 
gate-keeper,1  that  office  being  sometimes  occupied  by  women 
in  Judea.2 

The  court  was  now  filled  with  soldiers  and  attendants ;  the 
two  gates  giving  access  from  the  street  were  shut  against  in- 
truders ;  the  place  was  lighted  up  by  torches  flaring  from  the 
columns  or  walls ;  the  Sanhedrim,  at  least  such  of  them  as 
were  willing  to  engage  in  this  secret,  hellish  work  were  there, 
sitting  and  gloating  their  eyes  on  him  whom  they  felt  to  be 
at  last  in  their  power,  and  were  determined  to  make  their 
victim ;  the  Messiah  stood  before  them  bound  and  guarded. 

So  the  examination  began. 


1  John  xviii.  16.  2  Lightfoot. 


HALL    OF  CAIAPHAS.  361 

False,  suborned  witnesses  had  been  provided  and  were 
ready  for  their  part  of  the  work. 

The  high-priest  commenced  with  asking  the  Messiah  about 
his  disciples  and  his  doctrines,  hoping  to  find  some  admis- 
sions made  by  which  he  might  bring  charges  of  a  weighty 
character,  but  he  could  find  none.  There  was  a  sublime  dig- 
nity in  the  Saviour  as  he  stood  and  answered.  His  case  was 
evidently  prejudged,  his  judges  were  fixed  in  purpose,  and  he 
knew  it  all ;  they  were  trying  to  entangle  him  by  admis- 
sions; there  were  men  there  also  ready  for  personal  vio- 
lence ;  and  he  saw  all  of  this.  But  he  answered  calmly  and 
with  dignity :  "  I  spake  openly  to  the  world,  I  ever  taught 
in  the  synagogues  and  in  the  temple  whither  the  Jews  always 
resort,  and  in  secret  have  I  said  nothing.  Why  askest  thou 
me?  Ask  them  which  heard  me  what  I  have  said  unto 
them ;  behold  they  know  what  I  said."  This  challenge  to 
a  fair  examination  by  witnesses  was  met  by  gross  violence 
from  one  of  the  officers  who  struck  the  Saviour  with  the 
palm  of  his  hand  with  the  sharp  question :  "  Answerest 
thou  the  high-priest  so?"  It  was  calmly  borne.  "If  I 
have  spoken  evil,  bear  witness  of  the  evil ;  but  if  well,  why 
smitest  thou  me." 1 

The  Messiah  had  been  asking  for  only  what  was  custo- 
mary in  Jewish  trials,  or  rather  for  less  than  that;  for  he 
asked  but  a  candid  examination  of  those  who  had  listened  to 
his  teachings,  while  it  was  customary  in  these  trials  to  begin 
with  the  testimony  for  the  accused,  giving  the  witnesses  a 
fair  hearing,  and  encouraging  them  to  speak  for  the  defence. 
Instead  of  that,  the  Sanhedrim  now  began  with  seeking  for 
false  witnesses  against  him,  but  they  sought  in  vain.  Many 
were  offered,  but  their  evidence  was  contradictory  and  none 
of  it  of  a  sufficiently  damnatory  kind.2  At  last  came  two 
who  declared  that  they  had  heard  him  say,  "  I  am  able  to 


1  John  xviii.  19-23.  2  Matt.  xxvi.  59-60. 

31 


362      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

destroy  the  temple  of  God,  and  to  build  it  in  three  days ;" ' 
and  at  their  testimony  the  eyes  of  the  judges  glistened,  for 
here  was  a  charge  that  would  work  against  him  before  all 
the  people,  holding  as  they  did  their  temple  in  such  reve- 
rence, and  feeling  such  pride  in  its  greatness.  However, 
even  in  this  charge  the  witnesses  were  not  agreed.  The  Sa- 
viour did  not  reply  to  them. 

At  last  the  high-priest,  wearied  with  the  impotence  of  his 
efforts  so  far  and  out  of  patience,  determined  to  force  a  crisis, 
and  to  have  a  decided  answer  in  a  matter  that  he  believed 
would  produce  condemnation  in  the  minds  of  all  men,  peo- 
ple as  well  as  Sanhedrim,  and  to  insure  success  he  com- 
menced with  their  most  solemn  form  of  adjuration  or  oath. 

"  I  adjure  iliee  by  the  living  God"  he  said,  "  that  thou  tell  us 
whether  thou  be  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God/72  which  was  a 
form  of  demand  that  put  the  adjured  person  under  the  curse 
of  the  law,  unless  he  should  make  reply,  the  answer  so  re- 
turned being  considered  under  oath  whose  falsity  was  ac- 
counted perjury.3  The  interest  of  the  assembly  was  wrought 
up  to  the  highest.  Men  leaned  forward,  and  a  deep  silence 
fell  upon  that  room.  The  Messiah  had  hitherto  refused  to 
answer  the  false  and  frivolous  charges  brought4  before  judges 
so  resolved  to  condemn ;  but  he  now  replied, 

"Thou  hast  said,"  [a  common  form,  meaning  "yes,  it  is 
so :"]  "nevertheless,  I  say  unto  you,  Hereafter  shall  ye  see 
the  Son  of  Man  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  power,  and 
coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven."5 

It  was  enough.  They  had  succeeded  :  and  a  wild  scene 
of  triumph,  execration,  rage  and  violence  quickly  ensued. 
The  high  priest  rent  his  robes,  crying  out, 

"He  hath  spoken  blasphemy :  what  further  need  have  we 
of  witnesses  ?  Behold  ye  have  heard  his  blasphemy  :  what 
think  ye?" 

1  Matt.  xxvi.  61.  *  Ibid.  63.  3  Tholuck  in  loco. 

*  Matt.  xxvi.  62.  5  Ibid.  64. 


HALL    OF   CAIAPHAS.  363 

"  He  is  guilty  of  death ;"  was  shouted  from  all  parts  of 
the  hall :  and  they  now  rushed  upon  him,  spit  in  his  face, 
buffeted  him,  and  striking  him  with  the  palms  of  their 
hands,  asked,  scornfully  and  tauntingly,  "  Prophesy  unto  us, 
thou  Christ,  who  is  he  that  smote  thee  ?"J  Even  the  ser- 
vants joined  in  these  insults  and  taunts.2 

Greatness  is  never  so  great  as  when  calmly  sustaining 
itself  amid  insults  and  injuries;  truth  never  so  grand  as 
when  it  stands  unflinchingly,  unmoved  amid  danger :  and  so 
the  Messiah  had  stood  throughout  this  trial ; — so  continued 
to  the  last.  He  had  been  sublime  often  in  his  powerful 
teachings,  and  in  his  omnipotence,  when  he  stayed  nature's 
laws,  and  bade  all  diseases  relax  their  hold,  and  the  dead  to 
live ;  but  sublimer  still  he  was  in  his  mildness  and  forgive- 
ness among  all  these  his  enemies  offering  him  insults  and 
violence  and  thirsting  for  his  blood. 

One  thing  must  come  out  clearly  to  our  minds  in  this 
matter;  and  that  is,  the  decisive  manner  in  which  he  asserted 
his  Godship  here;  and  in  which  he  allowed  them  to  act 
upon  that  as  his  claim,  to  the  last.  The  Sanhedrim  were 
condemning  him  on  such  a  claim  ;  yet  there  was  no  retract- 
ing or  denying,  on  his  part.  They  understood  him  clearly 
and  fully,  and  charged  him  with  blasphemy,  in  making 
himself  God;  and  had  pronounced  him  guilty  of  death  for 
it.  If  he  meant  to  assert  no  such  title,  it  was  easy  to  say 
so,  and  to  disabuse  their  minds,  and,  at  least,  deprive  them 
of  all  excuse  in  their  meditated  deed  of  death  ;  but  he  put 
in  not  one  word  to  that  effect. 

Indeed,  through  all  his  ministry,  that  claim  had  been  his 
great  offence  in  their  eyes.  They  had  been  willing  to  ac- 
knowledge him  as  a  prophet ;  but  he  had  again  and  again, 
publicly  and  fully  asserted  for  himself  more  than  that,  even 
the  Godship  and  its  authority  and  rights.  A  claim  like 


Matt.  xxvi.  65-08.  2  Mark  xiv.  65. 


364      LIFE-SCENES  FROM   THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

this,  and  indeed  any  remote  inclination  to  it,  was,  in  the  eye 
of  the  Jewish  law,  the  most  awful  crime  that  could  be  com- 
mitted,— indeed  an  unpardonable  one.  We  have  seen  how 
Moses  and  Aaron  were  shut  off  by  Jehovah  himself  from 
entering  the  Promised  Land,  simply  for  arrogating  to  them- 
selves, in  a  momentary  excitement,  divine  authority  in 
performing  a  miracle ;  and  so  rigidly  and  severely  was  every 
sin  of  blasphemy  regarded  in  the  Jewish  law,  that  each  one 
hearing  words  of  this  nature  was  bound  to  rend  his  clothes 
on  the  spot,  as  a  sign  of  abhorrence.  The  Talmuds  also 
say,  respecting  testimony  to  such  language :  "  When  wit- 
nesses speak  out  a  blasphemy  which  they  have  heard,  then 
all  hearing  the  blasphemy  are  bound  to  rend  their  garments."1 
This  law  of  blasphemy,  "as  it  was  understood  among  the 
Jews,  extended  not  only  to  the  offence  of  impiously  using 
the  name  of  the  Supreme  Being,  but  to  every  usurpation  of 
his  authority,  or  arrogation  by  a  created  being  of  the  honor 
and  power  belonging  to  him  alone.  Like  the  crime  of  trea- 
son among  men,  its  essence  consisted  in  acknowledging  or 
setting  up  the  authority  of  another  sovereign  than  one's  own, 
or  invading  the  power  belonging  exclusively  to  him."* 

Often  had  the  Messiah  startled  his  audiences  by  his  claims 
either  to  the  attributes  of  God  or  to  the  Godhead  itself;  but 
the  majesty  and  the  mightiness  of  the  power  clearly  inherent 
in  him  had  borne  down  opposition ;  and  the  clamors  raised 
at  his  seeming  assumptions  were  lost  in  the  loud  shouts  by 
men  healed  of  all  diseases,  and  by  their  friends ;  joy,  love, 
gratitude,  triumphing  at  the  time.  Once,  however,  they 
took  up  stones  to  stone  him,  "  for  blasphemy,"  they  said ; 
"and  because  that  thou  being  a  man  makest  thyself  God." 

Here  now,  before  the  Sanhedrim ;  charged  with  the  same 
thing;  condemned  to  death  for  it;  violence  used;  that  charge 


1  Lightfoot. 

2  J.  Pickering,  LL.D.    See  also  Lev.  xxiii.  16;  Deut.  xiii. 


HALL    OF  CAIAPHAS.  365 

of  blasphemy  evidently  one  that  was  to  go  out  officially  from 
this  hall,  and  to  be  repeated  before  the  multitudes  of  the 
Passover ; — he  made  no  disclaimer,  but  allowed  the  record 
of  his  claims  to  the  Godhead  to  stand.  And  so  it  remains ; 
— Jesus  condemned  for  making  himself  God,  and  executed 
for  it,  he  admitting  the  charge,  and,  without  protest  of  error 
on  their  part,  allowing  them  to  proceed.1 

In  the  large  court  adjoining  this  hall,  watching  all  these 
proceedings  with  an  agitated,  and  often  sick  and  failing 
heart,  was  a  disciple,  ardent,  quick,  and  yet  weak ; — he  who 
had  said  impetuously  at  the  supper,  "  Though  all  men  shall 
be  offended  because  of  thee,  yet  will  I  never  be  offended." 
"Though  I  should  die  with  thee,  yet  will  I  not  deny  thee." 
"  I  am  ready  to  go  with  thee,  both  into  prison  and  to  death." 
The  disciples  had  fled  when  their  Master  was  seized  at 
Gethsemane,  but  Peter  and  John  had  followed  the  crowd  in 
their  midnight  progress  along  the  streets ;  and  John,  having 
influence  at  the  high  priest's  house,  had  been  allowed  to 
enter,  and  as  we  have  seen,  had  got  Peter  admitted  within 
the  precincts.  In  the  court,  at  some  suitable  spot,  a  fire  had 
been  built ;  for  the  night  was  cold :  and,  as  Peter  sat  there 
among  the  soldiers,  peering  timidly  but  anxiously  around, 
he  was  charged  by  some  one  of  the  female  attendants  with 
having  been  also  with  Christ.  He  denied  it :  "  Woman  I 


1  Jewish  writers  all  say,  that,  admitting  the  Gospel  historians  to  be 
true,  this  must  be  the  view  of  the  case.  Mr.  Jos.  Salvador,  a  physician 
and  learned  Jew  of  Paris,  in  a  recent  work,  "  Histoire  des  Institutions  de 
Moise  et  du  Peuple  Hebreu"  says,  "  But  Jesus,  in  presenting  new  theories, 
and  giving  new  forms  to  those  already  promulgated,  speaks  of  himself 
as  God."  In  a  note  he  adds :  "The  expression  ' Son  of  God'  was  in  com- 
mon use  among  the  Jews,  to  designate  a  man  of  remarkable  wisdom  and 
piety.  It  was  not  in  this  sense  that  Jesus  Christ  used  it."  In  another 
note,  respecting  the  rending  of  his  garments  by  Caiaphas,  he  adds,  "  I 
repeat  that  the  expression  'Son  of  God'  includes  here  the  idea  of  God 
himself :  the  fact  is  already  established  and  all  the  subsequent  events 
confirm  it." 
31* 


366  '   LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

know  him  not."1  It  was  a  terrible  fall  from  the  high  pro- 
fessions that  he  had  made,  and  from  his  vaunted  readiness 
to  die  with  Christ :  his  impulsiveness  wanted  the  calm  and 
immovable  courage  of  John,  which  led  this  loving  disciple 
afterwards  to  stand  by  the  cross,  and  to  show  his  affection 
for  his  Master  even  there.  Peter  was,  in  after  times,  one  of 
the  boldest  of  Christian  ministers,  and  fully  redeemed  him- 
self from  the  contempt  forced  on  us  by  this  conduct  in  the 
court,  as  we  see  him  cowardly  shrinking  to  one  side,  false 
and  base.  He  withdrew  from  the  brightness  of  the  fire; 
and  approached  the  arched  way ;  but  was  there  recognized 
by  the  woman  keeping  the  gate,  who  said,  "This  fellow  was 
also  with  Jesus  of  Nazareth."  One  false  step ;  and  now 
another:  for  he  declared,  with  an  oath,  "I  do  not  know  the 
man." 

The  scene  in  the  hall  itself,  during  these  denials  by  the 
disciple  had  become  as  we  have  seen,  tumultuous,  with  out- 
cries and  wrath  and  violence.  Peter  saw  his  Master  mal- 
treated :  he  saw  the  rush  of  the  crowd  in  that  more  ele- 
vated place  of  judgment :  he  heard  their  cries  of  execration 
and  of  abhorrence,  affected  or  real ;  saw  that  face  so  glorious 
even  still  in  its  majesty  of  kindness  and  its  forgiveness,  spit 
upon  and  buffeted ;  he  witnessed  the  madness  that  ruled 
there;  and  saw  the  great  triumph  that  lighted  up  the  faces 
of  the  high  priest  and  other  leaders,  as  they  felt  that  their 
enemy  was  now  securely  entangled  among  their  toils,  and 
could  not  escape.  As  the  torches  threw  their  ruddy  light 
upon  all  the  scene,  and  portions  of  the  tumultuous  crowd 
were  thrown  into  strong  relief,  or,  retiring  into  the  shadows, 
were  succeeded  by  others,  the  faces  bore  still  the  same  ex- 
pression of  wrath  and  malignity  and  triumph  bent  upon 
Christ.  Peter  saw  and  heard  all ;  too  anxious  for  his  Master 
not  to  be  closely  observant,  yet  shrinking  from  being  him- 
self observed. 


1  Luke  xxii.  57. 


HALL    OF  CAIAPHAS.  367 

There  came  at  last  a  lull  in  the  noises ;  for  morning  was 
now  approaching,  and  the  rulers  having  done  their  deeds  of 
darkness  to  their  satisfaction,  were  separating,  in  order  to 
prepare  for  the  more  formal  meeting  of  the  Sanhedrim, 
which  must  be  held  at  the  earliest  hour  of  the  day.  Peter 
lingered  still.  His  heart  had  failed  him  in  his  recent  temp- 
tation,— that  which  Christ  had  cautioned  him  to  pray  against 
— and  he  despised  himself  for  the  weakness  which  he  felt 
was  still  on  him  :  but  he  could  not  bring  himself  to  leave 
the  place ;  and  he  hung  about  the  court  with  a  strange  tu- 
mult in  his  heart,  affection,  reverence,  anxiety,  fear.  Proba- 
bly his  Master,  in  some  of  the  latter  scenes,  had  noticed  the 
disciple's  face  filled  with  affection  and  yet  fright ;  and  had 
also  met  Peter's  eyes  among  the  crowd.  Another  tempta- 
tion came  to  the  disciple,  and  he  cowered  under  it  still  more; 
his  heart  entirely  giving  way,  till  he  seemed  to  be  trans- 
formed into  another  man.  A  person  said  to  him,  "  Surely 
thou  art  one  of  them :  for  thou  art  a  Galilean,  and  thy 
speech  betrayeth  thee;" — for  the  Galileans  interchanged 
some  sounds  in  their  language  so  as  to  make  some  of  their 
words  difficult  to  be  understood  by  the  people  of  Judea.  He 
cursed  and  swore: — "I  know  not  the  man  of  whom  ye 
speak."  The  words  caught  the  ear  of  the  Messiah  ;  and  he 
turned  and  looked  on  the  wretched  culprit; — on  that  face  so 
filled  with  fright  and  shame ; — the  eyes  of  the  Saviour  ex- 
pressing compassion  mixed  with  gentle  reproach.  It  was 
Peter,  the  boaster  that  he  would  die  with  him ;  and  the  cock 
now  giving  warning  of  approaching  day,  had  not  crowed 
twice  before  he  had  thrice  denied  his  Lord, — this  last  time 
with  oaths.  At  this  look  of  Christ,  the  disciple  went  out, 
and  wept  bitterly. 

The  faint  dawn,  soon  afterwards  struggling  through  the 
night,  and  coming  slowly  over  the  Mount  of  Olives,  saw  in 
those  streets,  a  man  convulsed  with  grief  and  shame,  hum- 
bled and  self-accusing,  and  filled  with  remorse : — not  much, 


368     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

seemingly  in  that  large  city,  and  this  tumultuous  world ; 
but  yet  a  sight  that  angels  love  to  look  upon ;  for,  in  such 
penitential  feelings,  souls  are  purified  and  saved.  How  the 
disciple  must  have  loathed  and  abhorred  himself! 

Peter  afterwards  became  strong  and  brave  for  his  Lord, 
confessing  him  boldly  before  rulers,  and  amid  direst  perse- 
cutions :  and,  it  is  believed,  he  unflinchingly  met  a  martyr's 
death  in  his  Master's  cause. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 
THE  TRIAL  BEFORE  PILATE. 

THE  day  at  last  broke  fully  over  Jerusalem;  and  the 
people  in  that  region  being  early- risers,  the  vast  mul- 
titude in  and  about  the  city  were  soon  astir,  ignorant  yet  of 
the  scenes  at  Caiaphas's  house,  and  thinking  with  gladness 
of  the  occasion  before  them ;  for  the  day  succeeding  the 
Passover-meal  was  always  their  high  festival  day.  The 
whole  of  the  Passover  season  was  to  be  a  time  of  rejoicing,1 
but  this  day  was  always  given  to  peculiar  ceremonies,  and 
sacrifices  for  feasting ;  and,  as  it  was  the  sixth  day  of  the 
week,  (our  Friday),  and  the  morrow  would  be  their  Sab- 
bath,— a  more  solemn  time — it  seemed  to  them  that  an 
unusual  enjoyment  of  festivity  was  to  be  crowded  into  this 
day. 

On  this,  the  15th  of  Nisan,  all  the  males  were  bound  to 
appear  in  the  court  of  the  temple,  bringing  with  them  a 
burnt-offering  for  their  appearance  and  a  double  peace-offer- 
ing, one  for  the  solemnity,  and  one  for  the  joy  of  the  times. 

1  See  Deut.  xvi.  10-12. 


TRIAL  BEFORE  PILATE.  369 

These  offerings  were  called  in  their  language,  Chagigah, 
a  word  meaning  festivating  or  rejoicing ;  and  were  to  be  a 
bullock  or  sheep,  (2  Chron.  xxx.  24,  and  xxxv.  7,  8),  quite 
distinct  from  the  sacrifice  for  the  Passover  supper,  and  for  a 
different  purpose.  Part  of  this  chagigah  offering  was  given 
to  the  priest,  and  with  the  remainder  "  they  proceeded  to 
their  feastings  together  with  great  mirth  and  rejoicings,  ac- 
cording to  the  manner  of  that  festival."1  This  day  was  also 
the  one  from  which  the  fifty  days  to  Pentecost  were  to  be 
numbered ;  and  (which  usually  added  greatly  to  its  joyous- 
ness),  it  was  the  time  when  the  first  fruits  of  their  barley 
harvest  were  to  be  presented  to  God ;  before  which  no  one 
was  permitted  to  cut  any  grain  f  and  so  this  day  was  called 
a  sacred  day.  The  cutting  of  this  first  fruit  was  a  matter 
of  ceremony.  Those  who  were  deputed  by  the  Sanhedrim 
for  the  ceremony  of  reaping  it  went  forth  in  the  evening  of 
the  feast  (Chagigah)  day ;  and  people  flocked  with  them  to 
see  the  sight,  and  also  that  it  might  be  done  with  the  greater 
pomp.  When  it  grew  dusk,  he  that  was  about  to  reap  said, 
"The  sun  is  set;"  and  all  said,  "  Well."  He  repeated, 
"  The  sun  is  set ;"  and  the  people  replied  again,  "  Well :" 
"With  this  sickle;'7  "Well:"  "  With  this  sickle ;"  "Well:" 
"In  this  basket;"  "Well:"  "In  this  basket;"  "Well." 
And  if  it  happened  on  the  Sabbath-day,  he  said,  "  On  this 
Sabbath;"  "Well:"  " On  this  Sabbath ;"  "Well:"  "I will 
Reap;"  "Reap:"  "I  will  Reap;"  "Reap."  And  so,  as  he 
said  this  thrice  over,  they  answered  to  it  all,  "  Well."3  Their 
regular  Sabbath  (as,  after  sunset,  was  the  case  in  this  in- 
stance) did  not  hinder  this  ceremony ;  and  on  the  next  day, 
the  sheaf  was  offered  in  the  temple,  after  which,  and  not  be- 
fore, the  Jewish  people  might  proceed  to  their  harvesting. 

Such  in  the  regular  order  of  things  would  have  been  this 
Chagigah  or  great  festival  day,  a  time  of  peculiar  feasting 


Lightfoot.  2  Leviticus  xxiii.  9-11.  3  Lightfoot. 


37°      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

and  rejoicing;  and  now  with  the  feelings  suited  to  it  the 
great  multitudes  rose  on  that  (Friday)  morning  in  the  bright- 
ness and  freshness  of  the  dawn. 

But  the  Sanhedrim  had  been  yet  earlier  risers,  for  their 
work  had  to  be  quickly  done.  As  the  earliest  morning  light 
crept  down  into  the  judgment-hall  and  the  court-yard,  and 
upon  the  wearied  and  exhausted  individuals  there — the  Mes- 
siah still  among  them — the  members  of  the  Sanhedrim,  with 
the  chief-priests  and  elders  and  scribes1  might  have  been 
seen  gliding  toward  the  house  of  Caiaphas,  where  they  were 
soon  formed  into  the  regular  council  prescribed  by  their  law. 
They  could  now  pronounce  a  legal  judgment,  and  their  ac- 
tion was  rapid,  the  way  to  it  having  all  been  prepared  dur- 
ing the  night.  The  Messiah  was  placed  before  them. 

"Art  thou  the  Christ?  tell  us,"  they  demanded. 

"If  I  tell  you  ye  will  not  believe,"  he  replied;  "and  if 
I  also  ask  you,  ye  will  not  answer  me,  nor  let  me  go.  Here- 
after shall  the  Son  of  man  sit  on  the  right  hand  of  the  power 
of  God." 

They  were  impatient,  for  time  was  pressing,  and  all  cried 
out  as  with  one  voice, 

"  Art  thou  then  the  Son  of  God  ?" 

"  Ye  say  that  I  am  :"  (the  Jewish  form,  equivalent  to,  "  I 
am"). 

"  What  need  we  any  further  witness  ?"  they  cried  "  for 
we  ourselves  have  heard  of  his  own  mouth." 

He  was  immediately  condemned. 

From  this  he  was  taken  while  it  was  yet  early8  to  Pilate's 
judgment-hall. 

In  the  meantime,  by  means  of  various  spreading  reports, 
the  multitudes  were  coming  to  a  consciousness  of  these  trans- 
actions, and  they  stood  appalled — their  senses  almost  para- 
lyzed by  what  they  heard.  Their  enthusiasm  toward  the 


1  Mark  xv.  1;  Luke  xxii.  66.     2  Luke  xxii.  66-71.    s  John  xviii.  28. 


TRIAL  BEFORE  PILATE.  37 1 

Messiah  had  been  very  great.  All  had  taken  him  to  be  at 
least  a  prophet;  many  believed  him  to  be  much  more  than 
that.  The  rumor  of  a  few  days  previous,  that  "  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  was  shortly  to  appear/'  had  turned  all  eyes 
toward  him  in  expectation  of  something  wonderful  in  which 
he  was  to  be  the  great  and  glorious  leader,  and  they  had  con- 
versed about  it  among  themselves  until  curiosity,  if  not  en- 
thusiastic, had  highest  power.  They  remembered  also  the 
scenes  in  the  temple;  his  majesty  of  appearance  there,  his 
teachings  and  the  force  of  his  words,  his  countenance  so 
grand  in  its  changing  expressions  as  he  hurled  the  merited 
woes  upon  Pharisees  and  Scribes  ;  they  remembered  his  heal- 
ings in  the  temple  and  the  general  joy  caught  from  the 
healed  men — the  hosannas  shouted  out  and  caught  up  again 
repeated  till  the  temple  courts  were  filled  with  the  sounds 
of  glorifying  him  as  God ;  and  the  scenes  just  previously  on 
the  descent  of  Olivet,  where  the  throngs  were  spreading 
their  garments  in  his  way,  and  hailing  him  as  king  and 
more  than  king — " Hosanna,"  "Save,  Lord,  we  beseech 
thee."  Those  among  the  multitudes  who  had  not  witnessed 
these  things  had  heard  them  repeated  in  their  ears  so  often, 
and  with  so  much  of  the  eastern  enthusiasm  of  manner  that 
they  had  caught  the  same  feeling — and  now"!  Now  the 
rumor  went  that  he  had  been  condemned  at  a  formal  meeting 
of  the  Sanhedrim  for  BLASPHEMY  ;  that  witnesses  had  sworn 
to  his  saying  that  he  would  destroy  their  temple ;  that  he 
had  been  sentenced  to  death,  and  was  at  present  before  the 
Roman  governor,  whither  their  rulers  had  taken  him  in  order 
to  have  the  sentence  confirmed ! 

Those  of  the  multitudes  who  hastened  toward  the  judg- 
ment-seat of  Pilate  found  there  that  the  rumor  was  true,  and 
found  the  Roman  soldiers  by  the  gates  and  in  the  judgment- 
hall.  The  great  Roman  power  had  hemmed  him  in  on  every 
side.  A  shudder  as  if  their  own  dissolution  were  at  hand 
crept  through  the  crowds,  among  whom  however  the  agents 


372      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

of  the  Sanhedrim  were  now  also  at  work  infusing  doubts 
and  uttering  anathemas  against  him  whom  the  rulers  had 
condemned  for  blasphemy. 

Pilate  is  described  by  Philo,  a  learned  Jewish  writer1  of 
that  age,  as  a  man  "  with  a  nature  inflexible  and  implacable 
in  its  arrogance;"  he  had  been  appointed  Procurator  of  Ju- 
dea,  A.  D.,  2ti,  and  had  made  himself  odious  to  the  Jews  by 
his  cruelty  and  savage  nature  of  which  we  have  an  example 
in  his  having  compelled  the  Jews  to  mingle  the  blood  of 
some  of  their  own  people  in  their  sacrifices  at  the  temple, 
(Luke  xiii.  1). 

Before  this  man  the  Messiah  still  bound  now  stood  for 
trial,  his  accusers  who  were  the  Sanhedrim  having  followed 
him  and  being  now  there  also  with  their  charges  and  their 
fully  settled  plans. 

Judgment  among  the  Romans  was  always  public  and  sub 
dio,  (in  the  open  air);  and  in  order  to  make  their  decrees 
more  solemn,  officers  of  high  rank  took  with  them  a  tesse- 
lated  pavement  (in  Heb.  Gabbatha,  John  xix.  13),  which 
was  placed  on  an  elevated  spot ;  on  this  pavement  was  put 
the  JBema  or  judgment-seat,  and  on  this  the  judge  took  his 
place  when  a  trial  was  about  to  be  commenced.  This  was 
in  the  present  case  in  front  of  the  Governor's  palace ;  and 
about  it,  the  Jewish  elders  were  now  standing  for  accusation ; 
but  they  refused  to  enter  the  palace  itself,  that  being  a  Gen- 
tile's residence,  entering  which  would  defile  them  till  even- 
ing, and  prevent  their  joining  in  the  Chagigah  ceremonies 
on  that  day.2  Pilate,  however,  could  take  the  accused  per- 

1  Born  in  Alexandria,  where  he  wrote  about  the  year  A.  D.  40. 

2  The  reader  will  observe  that  this  removes  the  seeming  difficulty  in 
John  xviii.  28,  which  has  sometimes  puzzled  commentators.     The  pass- 
over  mentioned  there  must  have  been  the  Chagigah  eaten  during  the  day, 
and  from  which  any  defilement  in  the  morning  would  have  debarred 
them.     Such  defilement  continuing  only  till  sunset  could  not  exclude  them 
from  any  religious  duty  after  sunset ;  but  they  wanted  to  share  the  Chagi- 
gah feast.    The  whole  seven  days'  feast  of  unleavened  bread  was  often 


TRIAL   BEFORE  PILATE.  373 

son  within  the  palace  for  private  examination  there.  The 
hall  back  of  the  judgment-seat  had  its  guard  of  soldiers  and 
officers,  and  the  Governor  had  also  his  officers  at  the  Bema 
where  he  took  his  seat. 

Pilate,  according  to  the  Roman  legal  usage,  demanded  of 
the  accusers  what  charges  they  had  to  bring :  but  they  tried 
to  evade  the  question,  and  to  see  what  their  own  authority 
could  effect. 

"  If  he  were  not  a  malefactor,  we  would  not  have  deliv- 
ered him  up  unto  thee,"  they  said.  The  Governor  rejoined 
with  a  sneer, 

"  Take  ye  him  and  judge  him  according  to  your  law :" 
and  they  now  showed  their  object : 

"  It  is  not  lawful  for  us  to  put  any  man  to  death."1 

He  saw  their  purpose :  and  saw  the  calm  and  dignified 
face  before  him,  the  noble  expression  of  features,  the  gran- 
deur even  yet  marked  upon  that  brow.  How  unlike  a  cul- 
prit !  How  strange  that  such  a  person  should  be  brought 
before  him  as  a  malefactor  to  be  put  to  death !  He  looked 
on  the  countenance  of  the  crowd  of  accusers,  malignant 
amid  all  their  attempts  at  hypocrisy ;  fierce,  though  under 
the  assumptions  of  rank  and  justice;  wrathful  in  their  very 
first  words  before  him;  and  lighted  up  with  <  eager  ness  for 
revenge.  They  were  dark,  scowling  faces,  though  their 
owners  stood  in  robes  of  office  around  the  bound  individual 
before  him,  whose  features  expressed  even  then  only  benig- 
nity and  kindness,  mingled  with  calmness  and  resignation. 

He  again  demanded  of  them  an  accusation,  and  they  now 
brought  forward  a  political  charge,  "  We  found  this  fellow 
perverting  the  nation,  and  forbidding  to  give  tribute  unto 
Caesar,  saying  that  he  himself  is  Christ,  a  king."2  The 
Governor  gazed  at  him,  and  felt  a  wish  for  a  private  inter- 
called  the  Passover,  (as  in  Josephus,  Bel.  ii.  1,  §3,  also  Ant.  xi.  4,  §  8) 
and  in  2  Chron.  xxxv.7,  8,  bullocks  are  called  the  Passover  offering. 

1  John  xviii,  28-31.  2  Luke  xxiii.  2. 

32 


374     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

view :  he  would  not  have  such  a  person  maligned  by  thoso 
hypocritical  men  without  any  means  of  help.  So  Pilate 
withdrew  to  the  hall  in  the  rear,  and  had  Christ  brought 
there  to  him. 

"Art  thou  the  King  of  the  Jews?"  he  asked.  The 
Messiah  answered, 

"  Thou  sayest  it,"  (a  form  of  assent) :  and  added, 

"  Sayest  thou  this  thing  thyself,  or  did  others  tell  it  thee 
of  me?"  The  reply  to  that  was  indignant, 

"  Am  I  a  Jew  ?  Thine  own  nation  and  the  chief  priests 
have  delivered  thee  unto  me :  what  hast  thou  done  ?"  The 
Messiah  replied : 

"  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world :  if  my  kingdom  were 
of  this  world,  then  would  my  servants  fight,  that  I  should 
not  be  delivered  to  the  Jews  i1  but  now  is  my  kingdom  not 
from  hence." 

"  Art  thou  a  king,  then  ?" 

"  Thou  sayest  that  I  am  a  king  [equivalent  to  Yes,  I  am 
a  king].  To  this  end  was  I  born,  and  for  this  cause  came  I 
into  the  world,  that  I  should  bear  witness  unto  the  truth. 
Every  one  that  is  of  the  truth  heareth  my  voice." 

"  What  is  truth  ?"  said  Pilate,  a  skeptic  probably  as  re- 
gards all  truth,  as  a  Roman  courtier  might  readily  be ;  and 
still  more  so,  surrounded  as  he  was  with  such  hypocritical 
faces  as  were  those  of  the  accusers ;  for  he  had  immediately 
seen  that  "  for  envy "  they  had  delivered  Christ.2 

He  did  not  wait  for  an  answer  to  this  question,  but  went 
out  before  the  expectant  crowds,  who  were  eager  for  his  re- 
turn. The  Sanhedrim  had  felt  that  there  was  good  reason 
to  dread  such  an  interview :  and  they  stood  now,  with  ill- 


1  It  is  observable  that  here  also  the  distinction  is  kept  up  between  the 
people  and  the  rulers,  the  latter  obviously  meant  by  the  word  Jews,  it  is 
well  to  bear  it  in  mind  in  the  further  reading  of  John  respecting  the  trial 
and  crucifixion. 

2Matt.xxvii.  18. 


TRIAL  BEFORE  PILATE.  375 

disguised  anxiety  on  their  faces,  and  in  alarm.  Pilate's 
words  confirmed  their  fears. 

"  I  find  no  fault  in  him  at  all."1  Filled  now  with  open 
fierceness,  they  pressed  warmly  once  more  the  accusation, 
which  they  believed  must  ultimately  alarm  the  Governor. 

"He  stirreth  up  the  people,  teaching  throughout  all 
Jewry,  beginning  from  Galilee  to  this  place."2  From  Gali- 
lee !  thought  Pilate :  and  he  was  glad ;  for  it  would  give 
him  an  opportunity  to  throw  the  trouble  and  the  odium  that 
might  arise  from  this  trial  on  Herod,  Tetrarch  of  Galilee, 
who  was  now  in  Jerusalem.  He  probably  also  expected 
some  gratification  of  spite  in  the  perplexity  it  would  occasion 
Herod :  for  these  two  governors  were  at  enmity  at  this  time. 
He  therefore  sent  the  Messiah  to  Herod,  who  was  pleased ; 
for  now  at  last,  this  ruler  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  one 
of  whom  he  had  so  often  heard  ;  and  rumors  of  whose  mira- 
cles were  so  astonishing  that  he  had  even  taken  him  to  be 
John  risen  from  the  dead.  He  hoped  perhaps  to  see  some 
miracle  performed. 

Before  this  monster  of  lust  and  cruelty,  the  Messiah  was 
now  standing ;  the  accusers  having  accompanied  him  there. 
They  might  hope  for  better  success  before  such  a  mixture  of 
baseness,  and  weakness  and  barbarity,  as  Herod  had  shown 
himself  to  be  in  the  case  of  the  Baptist :  and  they  now  urged 
their  accusation  with  new  vehemence ;  while  the  Tetrarch 
himself  put  question  after  question,  with  greater  and  greater 
bitterness  and  savage  feeling,  as  he  found  himself  not  re- 
plied to  in  any  one  of  them.  The  Saviour  opposed  to  the 
contemptible  ruler  and  his  insolent  questions,  as  he  had  pre- 
viously done  to  his  accusers  before  Pilate,3  only  the  calm 
dignity  of  silence ;  until  the  Tetrarch,  irritated  by  receiving 
no  reply,  turned  on  him  his  soldiers,  who,  with  the  ruler, 
"set  him  at  naught,  and  mocked  him,  and  arrayed  him  in  a 


1  John  xvii.  34-38.        2  Luke  xxiii.  5.  3  Matt,  xxvii.  12. 


LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

gorgeous  robe :"  after  which  he  was  sent  back  to  Pilate, 
These  missions  between  the  two  governors  brought  about  a 
reconciliation  between  them,  and  they  now  became  friends.1 

The  governor  of  Judea  was  perplexed ;  for  on  the  one 
hand  was  the  Sanhedrim,  with  the  weight  of  their  position, 
and  their  official  condemnation  in  this  case,  with  accusations 
also  of  a  political  nature,  which,  if  disregarded,  might  bring 
him  into  trouble;  and  on  the  other  he  believed  in  the  Mes- 
siah's innocence,  and  saw  their  motive  in  all  this  malignant 
action ;  and  he  had  been  also  cautioned  by  his  wife,  warned 
in  a  dream2  "to  have  nothing  to  do  with  that  just  man." 
He  made  an  effort  at  extricating  himself  through  an  old 
custom,  which  was  to  yield  up  to  the  people's  clemency  on 
this  day,  any  malefactor  whom  they  might  demand ;  and 
now,  as  they  were  becoming"  clamorous  for  this  favor,  a  hope 
sprang  up  in  the  governor  that  they  might  be  less  savage 
than  their  rulers,  and  might  designate  the  accused  for  this 
favor.  He  said  to  them, 

"Will  ye  that  I  release  unto  you  the  King  of  the  Jews?"3 

The  rulers  were  startled ;  but  they  were  not  to  be  readily 
foiled.  They  immediately  mingled  with  the  multitude,4 
repeating  charge  after  charge  against  the  Messiah;  sustaining 
these  with  all  the  authority  of  their  office ;  appealing  to  the 
people's  reverence  for  their  temple,  there  in  full  view;  and 
using  such  other  devices  as  their  malignity  could  invent ; 
and  soon  there  were  symptoms  of  disapprobation  at  Pilate's 
suggestion.  There  was  in  prison  a  notorious  felon,  Barab- 
bas  by  name,  put  there  for  robbery  and  murder,  and  attempt 
at  sedition;  and  from  those  crowds — probably  many  of  them 
of  a  base  sort,  such  as  could  sympathize  with  that  culprit-^ 
after  a  while,  arose  a  demand : 

"Away  with  this  man,  and  release  unto  us  Barabbas."5 


1  Luke  xxiii.  6-12.  2  Matt,  xxvii.  19.  3  Mark  xv.  9. 

4  Matt,  xxvii.  20.  5  Luke  xxiii.  18. 


TRIAL  BEFORE  PILATE.  377 

"What  will  ye  then  that  I  shall  do  unto  him  ye  call  the 
King  of  the  Jews?"  asked  the  Governor.  And  they  an- 
swered with  the  terrific  cry, 

"  Crucify  him !" 

Pilate  was  horror-struck,  and  attempted  to  remonstrate : 

"  Why,  what  evil  hath  he  done  ?"  But  the  cry  was  only 
vociferated  more  fiercely, 

"  Crucify  him  I"1 

They  were  going  far  beyond  their  own  law,  which  ordered 
stoning  to  death,  as  the  severest  punishment  for  the  greatest 
crime  known  among  them,  namely,  blasphemy :  but  this  did 
not  satisfy  them  now.  They  demanded  the  most  cruel  and 
the  most  painful  of  all  Roman  punishments,  one  exciting 
such  horror  among  the  Romans  themselves,  that  Cicero  says 
of  it,  "Ab  oculis,  auribusque  et  omni  cogitatione  hominum  re- 
movendum  est:"2  it  should  be  banished  from  eyes  and  ears,  and 
even  from  the  very  thoughts  of  men: — so  ignominious  also, 
that  it  was  inflicted,  as  the  last  mark  of  detestation,  on  the 
vilest  of  people, — was  the  punishment  of  robbers  and  mur- 
derers, provided  that  they  were  slaves ;  but  it  was  thought 
too  infamous  a  punishment  for  freemen,  let  their  crimes  be 
what  they  might.3 

One  word  from  the  governor, — an  order  for  acquittal — 
would  have  been  decisive ;  and  we  may  wonder  that  it  was 
not  given,  when  he  heard  their  horrible  demand,  especially 
as  he  had  just  said  to  them,  "Behold,  I,  having  examined 
him  before  you,  have  found  no  fault  in  this  man  touching 
those  things  whereof  ye  accuse  him :  no,  nor  yet  Herod :  for 
I  sent  you  to  him,  and  lo  nothing  worthy  of  death  is  done 
unto  him  :"4 — but  we  must  remember,  not  as  an  exculpation, 
but  as  one  of  the  facts  in  the  case,  that  Pilate  was  amenable 
to  Rome,  to  which  their  accusations  against  himself,  could 


32 


1  Mark  xv.  12-14.  2  In  Verrem. 

3  Adam  Clarke.  *  Luke  xxiii.  14,  15, 


37^      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

easily  be  sent.  He  thought  he  would  try  whether  their 
malice  might  not  be  satisfied  if  the  object  of  their  vengeance 
should  be  degraded  and  punished  before  their  eyes;  his 
claims  of  kingship  being  made  the  badges  of  his  disgrace. 
He,  therefore,  had  the  Messiah  scourged ;  and  delivered  him 
into  the  hands  of  his  soldiers,  who  "  platted  a  crown  of 
thorns  and  put  it  on  his  head,  and  they  put  on  him  a  purple 
robe,  and  said,  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews !  and  they  smote  him 
with  their  hands ;"  "they  smote  him  on  the  head  with  a 
reed,  and  did  spit  upon  him/'  and  bowed  their  knees  in  mock 
worship :'  after  which  Pilate  coming  out  said, 

"  Behold  I  bring  him  forth  to  you  that  ye  may  know  that 
I  find  no  fault  in  him." 

Jesus  was  led  before  them  wearing  the  crown  of  thorns 
and  the  purple  robe.  Mockery  it  was,  but,  even  still  there 
was  a  dignity  in  his  manner  which  they  could  not  tear  from 
him  or  disguise,  and  a  strange  Presence  recognized  by  Pilate 
even  there,  as  if  the  kingship  thrust  forward  in  mockery 
was  felt  to  be  actual  truth.  He  said  to  them, 

"Behold  the  Man!" — and  there  broke  out  again  that 
fierce  demand : 

"  Crucify  him,  crucify  him."  The  governor  saw  that  all 
efforts  at  conciliation  were  fruitless ;  there  was  now  only  one 
shout  from  them,  and  that  for  blood ;  he  looked  down  on 
the  fierce,  and  determined  faces,  and  saw  no  relenting  there, 
only  malice,  and  but  half-suppressed  rage  against  himself. 
He  quailed  before  the  possible  consequences  of  this  in  his 
own  person  :  it  would  be  the  easiest  and  safest  thing  for  him 
to  yield.  But  even  in  yielding,  he  put  in  a  protest : — "  Take 
ye  him  and  crucify  him  ;  for  I  find  no  fault  in  him."  In 
their  triumph  now  at  success,  and  their  attempts  at  justifica- 
tion, they  overshot  their  mark.  "  We  have  a  law  and  by  our 
law  he  ought  to  die,  because  he  made  himself  the  Son  of 


1  John  xix.  1-3;  Mark  xv.  18,  19. 


TRIAL   BEFORE  PILATE.  379 

God."  The  governor  was  startled  and  amazed ;  it  was  a 
new  aspect  in  the  affair ;  for  hitherto  they  had  been  urging 
it  upon  him  on  political  grounds.  The  strange  dignity  of 
the  accused  had  before  impressed  him ; — his  calmness,  truly 
like  that  of  a  God  while  all  were  raging  around  him  for  his 
destruction ; — the  majesty  which  no  mocking  could  put 
down.  He  went  back  to  the  hall  again,  and  summoned  the 
Messiah.  "  Whence  art  thou  ?"  he  said. 

There  was  no  reply.  Pilate  was  urgent  for  an  answer, 
and  tried  to  bring  the  terrors  of  his  power  to  his  aid. 

"  Speakest  thou  not  unto  me  ?  Knowest  thou  not  that  I 
have  power  to  crucify  thee  and  have  power  to  release  thee  ?" 
The  answer  was : 

"  Thou  couldest  have  no  power  at  all  against  me,  except 
it  were  given  thee  from  above;  therefore,  he  that  delivered 
me  unto  thee  hath  the  greater  sin." 

Outside  there  was  a  feeling  of  impatience  becoming 
strong  among  the  rulers.  They  dared  not  come  to  the  hall, 
for  that  would  defile  the  hypocrites  \  but  these  interviews 
and  colloquies  in  it  were  always  to  them  subjects  of  distrust 
and  fear.  Previously  they  had  found  their  cause  suffer  from 
such  an  examination  by  Pilate ;  and  now,  when  he  appeared 
again  before  them,  he  made  still  further  efforts  for  the  re- 
lease of  Christ.  But  they  had  one  powerful  means  kept  in 
reserve  for  extremities,  and  such  an  extremity  seemed  now 
to  have  come.  Of  all  the  Roman  emperors,  Tiberius  (then 
ruling)  was  the  most  jealous  and  implacable :  and,  in  his 
eyes,  majestatis  crimen  omnium  accusationum  complementum 
est  (Tacitus,  Ann.  iii.  38) ;  "the  crime  of  treason  is  the  climax 
of  all  accusations"  They  cried  out  loudly  to  Pilate : 

"  If  thou  let  this  man  go,  thou  art  not  Caesar's  friend ; 
whosoever  maketh  himself  a  king,  speaketh  against  Caesar.1 

T/iou  art  not  well  affected  toward  Ccesar  ! 


1  John  zix.  4-12. 


380     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

He  resisted  no  more.  They  had  conquered,  and  they 
knew  now  that  by  this  threat  of  accusing  the  governor,  whose 
soul  crouched  with  fear  before  the  bloody  tyrant,  their  tri- 
umph was  secured. 

The  governor  seated  himself  on  the  judgment-seat  at  the 
tesselated  pavement,  and  the  Messiah  was  brought  before 
them  once  more.  He  said, 

"  Behold  your  king  I"  and  there  arose  a  storm  of  wrath 
with  shouts, 

"Away  with  him,  away  with  him,  crucify  him!" 

"Shall  I  crucify  your  King?"  he  asked. 

They  were  now  mad  with  rage,  for  they  cried  out — the 
chief-priests  leading  in  it, 

"  We  have  no  king  but  Ccesar." l 

The  rulers  must  have  felt  a  thrill  of  horror  in  their  own 
hearts  as  the  words  burst  from  them  ;  for  it  had  always  been 
their  boast  that  they  had  no  king  but  God,  and  would  ac- 
knowledge no  other ;  and  this  they  had  always  put  forward 
as  their  grounds  of  resistance  to  the  Roman  power  and  its 
claims.  But  madness  filled  them  at  this  time.  Their  words 
were  blasphemy  and  treason  against  God,  according  to  all 
they  had  ever  professed  before ;  they  were  making  themselves 
contemptible  in  their  own  eyes  and  abhorrent  to  all  the  na- 
tion, and  faces  in  the  multitude  there  showed  horror  at  the 
cry ;  but  there  was  no  open  protest,  and  the  blasphemy  and 
treason  stand  yet  against  the  rulers  in  the  madness  of  that 
hour. 

Pilate  on  the  judgment-seat  called  for  water,  and  per- 
formed a  significant  act.  He  washed  his  hands  publicly  so 
that  all  might  see  it,  and  declared  before  them, 

"  I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  just  person ;  see  ye 
to  it." 

An  answering  cry  came  from  the  whole  assembly  there, 


1  John  xix.  13-16. 


TRIAL  BEFORE  PILATE.  381 

and  it  contains  under  the  circumstances  the  most  frightful 
words  ever  uttered  by  human  lips : 

"  His  blood  be  on  us  and  our  children  !" l 

"  Pilate  gave  sentence  that  it  should  be  as  they  required."2 
He  had  Barabbas  released  then  and  delivered  into  their  hands. 

What  were  the  feelings  of  the  multitudes  in  Jerusalem  all 
this  while?  The  people  who  had  cried  their  hosannas,  the 
admiring  throngs  that  had  gazed  on  his  miracles,  the  men 
cured,  the  blind  men  of  Siloam  and  of  Jericho,  and  the  halt 
and  blind  healed  in  the  temple,  what  were  their  thoughts? 
Lazarus,  the  disciples,  where  were  they?  Was  there  no 
voice  from  any  one  of  them  ?  There  must  have  been  a 
sickening  sensation  throughout  the  city,  a  feeling  that  a 
dark,  hellish  deed  was  being  done,  and  a  resistance  in  men's 
hearts  to  the  whole  proceeding  of  the  Sanhedrim.  "Why," 
the  people  must  have  thought,  "  why  the  secret  stealing  upon 
the  party  in  Gethsemane?  why  the  night-council?  why  the 
violation  of  all  precedents  and  of  all  Jewish  law?  why  this 
indecent  haste ?"  The  hellish  malice  of  the  Pharisees  and 
chief-priests  was  manifest ;  the  instigations  to  the  crowd  to 
release  Barabbas  a  robber  and  murderer,  and  to  demand 
crucifixion  as  regards  Jesus ;  their  goadings  on  of  the  un- 
willing Governor ;  all  this  was  too  transparent  not  to  be  seen 
through  and  understood,  and  the  hearts  of  all  true  men  must 
have  recoiled  from  it  in  horror  and  disgust.  But  what,  to 
their  apprehension,  could  they  do?  It  was  now  but  three 
hours  after  sunrise,3  and  already  Pilate  had  pronounced  the 
sentence,  and  Jesus  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Roman  soldiers ; 
the  power  of  that  colossal  Roman  empire  had  closed  around 
him,  and  he  was  hemmed  in  by  it  to  his  death*  True  it  .was 
reported  that  the  Sanhedrim  had  in  formal  conclave  con- 

1  Matt,  xxvii.  24,  25. 

2  Luke  xxiii.  24.     This  governor  after  having  ruled  ten  years  was  de- 
posed and  banished  to  Vienne,  where  he  is  said  to  have  committed  suicide. 

3  See  Mark  xv.  25. 


382      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

demned  him  for  blasphemy,  even  on  his  own  words  before 
them  ;  but  men  through  the  city  still  recoiled  with  a  sicken- 
ing sensation  from  the  whole  thing  as  a  dark,  hellish  work. 
Those  who  thought  of  God's  justice,  even  if  they  did  not  be- 
lieve in  Christ,  trembled ;  those  who  believed  in  him  felt 
crushed  to  the  earth  and  knew  the  truth  of  their  Master's 
word — that  a  woe  was  gathering  to  burst  over  all  their  land. 

There  was  one  man  among  them  almost  frenzied.  It  was 
Judas.  He  had  probably  hoped  that  there  would  be  some 
way  of  escape  for  the  Messiah,  some  miracle  from  him  per- 
haps for  his  own  deliverance,  and  he  had  scarcely  antici- 
pated such  an  end.  He  had  the  money;  Christ  he  had 
hoped  would  escape.  Thus  he  had  doubtless  reasoned,  and 
the  Pharisees  he  had  thought  would  be  doubly  overmatched. 
Therefore  the  most  restless  man  in  all  Jerusalem  in  watching 
the  proceedings  of  the  council,  and  at  the  Prsetorium,  was 
doubtless  this  traitor,  in  whose  heart  remorse  was  taking  its 
everlasting  hold.  Now  the  end  had  come,  and  with  it  came 
recollections  and  anticipations,  and  a  fearfulness  of  horror ; 
for  hell  was  already  lighted  up  in  his  heart.  He  saw  the 
flashing  of  triumph  in  the  Pharisees'  eyes;  remorse  was 
blazing  in  a  frenzy  from  his  own.  He  hurried  to  their 
council,  which  seems  to  have  adjourned  from  the  Prsetorium 
to  their  council-room,  and  entered  it  with  the  cry, 

"  I  have  sinned  in  that  I  have  betrayed  the  innocent 
blood."  There  was  only  a  cold-blooded,  sneering  answer : 

"  What  is  that  to  us?  See  thou  to  that."  He  flung  down 
their  money  and  rushed  out.  Was  the  woe  at  the  Paschal 
supper  pursuing  him?  Had  it  not  been  ringing  in  his  ears 
all  the  night  and  all  the  morning?  "  Woe  unto  the  man  by 
whom  the  Son  of  man  was  betrayed ;  it  had  been  better  for  that 
man  if  he  had  not  been  born." l  Remorse  and  the  woe  were 
upon  him,  and  the  wretch  immediately  committed  suicide 
by  hanging.8 

1  Matt.  xxvi.  24,  a  Matt,  xxvii.  5. 


THE   CRUCIFIXION.  383 

The  Sanhedrim  gathered  up  the  money ;  it  was  not  lawful 
they  said  to  put  it  into  the  treasury  of  the  temple,  as  it  was 
the  price  of  blood  ;  so  they  bought  with  it  a  field  for  bury- 
ing strangers  and  called  the  place  "  The  Field  of  Blood." 


CHAPTER  XL VI. 
THE   CRUCIFIXION. 

PILATE  had  yielded.  As  soon  as  he  had  discovered  the 
motive  of  the  Jewish  leaders,  "  that  for  envy  they  had 
delivered  him," '  and  saw  that  they  proposed  making  himself 
the  instrument  of  their  malice,  and  moreover  saw  the  great- 
ness of  the  Messiah  under  these  trying  circumstances  he  had 
"determined  to  let  him  go;"2  but  his  own  nature  was  too 
pusillanimous  to  allow  him  to  hold  unflinchingly  to  the  right 
amid  dangers  to  himself,  and  at  that  argumentum  ad  homi- 
nem  at  the  last  he  had  withered  and  lost  his  manhood.  We 
can  almost  see  him  as  in  the  symbolical  act  he  was  washing 
his  hands,  ashamed  of  himself,  trying  thus  but  unsatisfac- 
torily to  his  own  heart  to  shake  off  the  responsibility  of  the 
condemnation,  warm  in  admiration  of  the  wonderful  being 
whom  he  had  delivered  to  the  leaders  to  be  crucified,  and 
despising  and  hating  them.  What  a  contempt  he  must  have 
felt  for  men,  who  while  they  were  so  instigated  by  deadly 
malice  and  were  urging  him  to  crucify  an  innocent  person,  had 
yet  refused  to  enter  his  hall  lest  they  should  be  defiled  by  cross- 
ing the  threshold  of  a  Gentile,  and  so  should  be  unfitted  for 
the  religious  ceremonies  of  the  day. 


Matt,  xxvii.  18.  2  Acts  iii.  13. 


384     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

He  was  glad  to  see  them  go  at  last  a«d  vacate  his  pre- 
mises, but  as  he  turned  from  them  it  must  have  been  with 
many  compunctions  as  to  his  own  conduct,  and  a  sense  of 
meanness  and  degradation  in  himself.  He  felt  however  that 
he  had  obtained  one  great  triumph  over  these  base  men,  and 
that  was  when  they  had  given  the  lie  to  all  their  former  pre- 
tensions, and  had  lowered  their  pride  and  had  abjured  all 
that  they  had  ever  declared  sacred  and  inviolable,  in  that 
mad  cry  from  them,  "  We  have  no  king  but  Caesar." 

There  was  usually  before  crucifixion  a  scene  of  horrible 
suffering  and  indignity,  from  which  the  outrages  already  in- 
flicted by  the  soldiers  on  the  person  of  Christ  may  perhaps 
have  saved  him  on  this  occasion.  It  was  the  scourging  by 
theflagellwn,  an  instrument  so  frightfully  severe  that  people 
sometimes  died  under  the  infliction.1  Horace  calls  it  horri- 
bileflagellum.  It  consisted  of  a  handle  with  thongs  "  knotted 
with  bones  or  heavy  indented  circles  of  bronze,  or  terminated 
with  hooks,  in  which  case  it  was  aptly  denominated  scorpion." 
It  was  used  solely  in  the  case  of  slaves  who  were  as  already 
stated,  the  only  persons  who  could  be  executed  by  crucifixion, 
the  punishment  for  theft  and  murder.  Luke2  says  that 
Pilate  proposed  to  scourge  Jesus,  and  John3  speaks  of  a 
scourging  during  the  trial.  Matthew's  record4  is  "Then 
released  he  Barabbas  unto  them,  and  when  he  had  scourged 
Jesus  he  delivered  him  to  be  crucified;"  and  similar  to  this 
is  the  account  by  Mark.5  Commentators  are  divided  on  the 
question  whether  there  was  but  one  scourging,  that  is  during 
the  trial,  or  in  addition  the  customary  one  after  sentence  had 
been  pronounced.  The  soldiers,  of  whose  barbarity  we  have 
proofs  during  the  trial,  would  be  ready  for  any  subsequent 
cruelties ;  and  such  a  scourging  may  have  produced  the  ex- 


1  Jalm's  Archaeology.  2  xxiu.  16  and  22. 

3  xix.  1,  *  xxvii.  26.  6  xv.  15. 


THE   CRUCIFIXION. 


385 


haustion  which  led  them  to  compel  Simon  the  Cyrenian  to 
assist  in  bearing  the  cross.1 


It  was  against  all  Jewish  law  to  examine  a  cause,  pass 
sentence,  and  put  it  in  execution  on  the  same  day,2  but  law 
and  usage  were  nothing  to  their  leaders  on  this  occasion. 
They  wanted  the  life-blood  no  matter  at  what  cost  or  how 
procured. 

The  movement  from  the  judgment-hall  was  onward  toward 
the  place  of  crucifixion,  the  Saviour  as  was  customary  on 
such  occasions  bearing  his  cross ;  though  soon  owing  to  his 
exhaustion  the  soldiers  compelled  a  man  coming  from  the 
country  to  assist  in  supporting  its  weight.  The  crowds  had 
gathered  in  large  numbers,  some  of  them  stupefied,  amazed, 
stunned,  but  helpless  now ;  for  any  resistance,  if  they  felt  so 
disposed,  would  be  insurrectionary,  and  would  only  bring  on 
them  the  quick  vengeance  of  Rome ;  some  were  exultant 
and  noisy  in  their  demonstrations  of  triumph  and  joy.  As 
the  company  moved  onward  to  the  place  of  crucifixion, 
weeping  was  heard  in  the  crowd,  and  the  Saviour  turned 


1  The  cross  was  usually  about  ten  feet  in  length.     Hasselquist,  a  Swedish 
naturalist,  supposes  that  the  crown  of  thorns  was  made  from  the  naba  or 
nabka  (so  called  by  the  Arabs)  very  common  in  that  country.     It  has  nu- 
merous small  and  sharp  spines  and  leaves  much  resembling  ivy ;  the  lat- 
ter circumstance  adding  to  their  mockery,  as  it  seemed  to  represent  a  vic- 
tor's wreath. 

2  Jahn. 

33 


386      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

toward  the  sounds.  Sympathy,  kindness,  commiseration 
at  last  and  in  that  company;  people  wailing  and  lament- 
ing aloud!  They  were  women,  and  their  voices  sounded 
strangely  among  those  mixed,  discordant  noises,  where  taunt- 
ings  and  revilings  and  rejoicings  were  the  general  manifes- 
tations of  feeling.  He  turned  sadly  toward  the  women ; 
exhaustion  and  pain  showed  themselves  in  his  tones,  but  he 
thought  even  then  more  of  these  mourners  than  of  himself. 

"  Daughters  of  Jerusalem,'7  he  said,  "  weep  not  for  me, 
but  weep  for  yourselves  and  for  your  children.  For  behold 
the  days  are  coming  in  the  which  they  shall  say,  Blessed  are 
the  barren,  and  the  wombs  that  never  bare,  and  the  paps 
which  never  gave  suck.  Then  shall  they  begin  to  say  to 
the  mountains,  Fall  on  us ;  and  to  the  hills,  Cover  us.  For 
if  they  do  these  things  in  a  green  tree,  what  shall  be  done 
in  the  dry?"1 

Once  more  onward  toward  the  place  of  execution ;  the 
crowds  half-awed  by  the  solemn  words,  and  by  the  indefi- 
nite danger  foreshadowed  in  the  language  of  one  always  so 
prophet-like,  but  the  leaders  were  there  applying  fresh  stimu- 
lants to  rage  and  to  tauntings  and  obloquy.  A  Roman  offi- 
cer; Roman  soldiers ;  Jesus  with  his  burden ;  two  malefactors 
also  with  their  crosses  bearing  him  company  as  if  an  addi- 
tional degradation  was  attempted  to  be  forced  upon  him  by 
their  companionship ;  the  rulers  of  the  Jews  still  unwearied 
and  determined  to  see  the  end  fully  accomplished ;  the  crowds, 
some  awed  and  silent,  some  vociferous  and  insulting;  the 
women,  their  voices  of  wailing  mingling  with  the  harsh 
sounds  of  bold,  fierce  men — such  was  the  company  that  ad- 
vanced along  the  thoroughfares  of  Jerusalem  from  the  Go- 
vernor's palace  to  Calvary. 

A  spot  called  Golgotha,  signifying  "the  place  of  a  skull," 
being  a  slight  elevation  with  its  summit  in  full  view  was  to 


1  Luke  xxiii.  27-30. 


THE   CRUCIFIXION.  387 

be  the  scene  of  the  crucifixion,  and  they  soon  arrived  there ; 
for  it  was  not  far  from  the  Prsetorium,  and  just  outside  the 
city  walls.  There  the  preparations  were  quickly  made.  The 
garments  of  the  person  to  be  executed  were  always  the  per- 
quisites of  the  Roman  guards,  and  those  of  our  Saviour 
were  now  divided  among  the  quaternion  or  four  soldiers,  the 
outer  one  falling  to  one  of  them  by  lot.  The  preparations 
for  nailing  him  to  the  cross  were  soon  completed.  It  was 
customary,  in  respect  to  the  very  horrible  pains  suffered  in 
this  first  act,  to  give  previously  to  the  individual  a  stupefy- 
ing potion ;  and  such  an  one  was  now  handed  to  the  Messiah, 
but  after  tasting  it  he  refused  to  drink.1 

He  was  then  nailed  to  the  cross. 

"  Father,  forgive  them,"  he  said,  as  they  did  this,  "  for 
they  know  not  what  they  do."2 

The  company  had  been  painfully  attentive,  even  the  most 
hardened  and  cruel ;  a  deep  horror,  a  solemnity,  a  shrinking 
in  their  nerves  as  they  heard  the  grating  sounds  of  the  nails 
in  his  limbs;  a  shuddering  through  the  crowd;  sobs  and 
sounds  of  weeping  here  and  there,  and  then  a  shout  of  deri- 
sion and  scorn,  with  bitter  tauntings,  drowning  all  other 
sounds ;  such  was  the  scene.  What  fiends  men  can  be  when 
they  are  under  wicked  leaders,  and  are  stimulated  by  hellish 
passions !  and  devils  seemed  to  have  a  terrible  power  there  in 
that  hour  of  the  crucifixion  of  Christ.  The  cross  now  had 
been  put  in  its  place  and  elevated,  and  it  stood  there  with 
its  burden  bloody  from  the  stripes  and  the  nailing,  and  with 
its  inscription  in  Greek  and  Latin  and  Hebrew : 

"  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH  THE  KING  OF  THE  JEWS."  8 

The  Jewish  leaders  had  requested  Pilate  to  change  it  to  a 
different  form,  containing  a  pretension  to  be  king ;  but  he 

1  Matt,  xxvii.  34.  2  Luke  xxiii.  34. 

3  Latin  was  the  official  language;  Greek  was  the  one  usually  spoken 
in  that  country  by  the  learned ;  and  Hebrew,  or  rather  its  cognate,  Ara- 
maic by  the  common  people. 


388      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

refused.  The  chief  priests  and  scribes  and  elders  were  there 
leading  on  the  tauntings :  "  He  saved  others,  himself  he  cannot 
save.  If  he  be  the  King  of  Israel,  let  him  now  come  down 
from  the  cross,  and  we  will  believe  him.  He  trusted  in 
God ;  let  him  deliver  him  now  if  he  will  have  him ;  for  he 
said,  I  am  the  Son  of  God.77  Their  action,  their  language, 
their  feelings  were  hellish ;  there  seemed  to  be  nothing  hu- 
man left  in  them,  and  yet  these  men  were  the  rulers  of  the 
nation. 

The  crowds  joined  mostly  in  these  cries,  and  in  their  own 
peculiar  way.  They  had  followed,  some  engaged  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  rulers  and  their  agents,  some  from  idle  curiosity, 
some  from  better  motives ;  but  there  had  doubtless  been  in 
many,  the  expectation  of  some  great  phenomena,— a  great 
miracle,  perhaps  some  supernatural  effort  at  release,  some 
struggle  by  that  strange  power  in  him  for  deliverance;  and 
now  that  there  had  been  none  they  were  angered,  and  would 
feel  that  there  was  some  revenge  due  them  for  their  disap- 
pointment. They  tried  to  have  it,  led  too,  as  they  were  by 
men  in  authority;  the  soldiers  also,  and  even  the  two  cru- 
cified malefactors,  or  at  least  one  of  them,  joined  in  their 
mockings  and  taunting  cries.  The  shouts  of  the  people 
showed  how  the  cunning  device  of  the  priests  in  suborning 
witnesses  to  say  that  they  had  heard  him  threaten  to  destroy 
their  temple,  had  succeeded  in  revolutionizing  their  feelings; 
for  their  cry  was,  "Ah,  thou  that  destroyest  the  temple,  and 
buildest  it  in  three  days,  save  thyself,  and  come  down  from 
the  cross.771  The  priests  sneered  at  him,  in  their  own  pecu- 
liar way, — "He  saved  others;  himself  he  cannot  save.7' 
One  of  the  malefactors  by  and  by,  struck  to  the  heart  by 
the  strange  scene, — the  revilings  cast  on  one  so  innocent,  the 
gentleness  and  forgivingness  of  the  sufferer  in  his  greatest 
pains, — the  contrast  between  the  raging,  venomous  people 


Mark  xv.  29. 


THE    CRUCIFIXION.  389 

and  Christ, — rebuked  his  companion  as  he  was  saying,  "  If 
thou  be  Christ,  save  thyself  and  us." 

"Dost  thou  not  fear  God/7  he  said,  " seeing  that  thou  art 
in  the  same  condemnation  ?  And  we  indeed  justly  ;  for  we 
receive  the  due  reward  of  our  deeds,  but  this  man  hath  done 
nothing  amiss."  He  added  to  Jesus  himself, 

"  Lord,  remember  me  when  thou  comeBt  into  thy  king- 
dom." 

It  was  but  a  simple  prayer :  it  was  the  first  appeal  ever 
made  to  the  Cross  of  Christ ;  and  it  was  answered  in  kind- 
ness: 

"  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me 
in  Paradise."1 

There  stood  near  to  the  cross  a  group, — a  singular  one  it 
was  amid  that  scene  of  scoffing,  and  malice,  and  triumph  at 
Christ's  sufferings ; — for  the  faces  and  actions  of  these  per- 
sons gave  demonstration  how  deeply  they  sympathized  with 
the  sufferer.  They  were  his  mother ;  her  sister,  wife  of 
Cleophas ;  Mary  Magdalene ;  and  the  faithful  John.  Best 
love  is  ever  bravest ;  and  these  loved  the  most.  They  stood 
there,  true  to  him,  their  souls  writhing  under  those  taunt- 
ings  and  those  scornful  insulting  cries.  They  looked  to- 
ward the  cross ;  and  they  there  saw  the  marks  of  agony ; 
the  anguish  apparent  in  his  face,  and  in  the  spasms  and  con- 
vulsions of  his  body ; — that  face  so  gentle  and  calm,  and  so 
God-like  always,  but  now  clouded  with  the  pain  which  ex- 
pressed itself  in  every  line  and  feature ; — the  eyes  now  blood- 
shot ; — the  brow  and  form  wounded  and  bloody ; — the  lan- 
guor of  exhaustion  stealing  over  the  limbs  and  frame.  Not 
one  word,  however,  of  complaint  from  him  ;  his  eyes  still 
showed  love  to  them  and  to  all.  His  voice  and  tone  when 
he  spoke,  were  now  as  always,  in  kindness  and  love. 


1  Luke  xxiii.  39-43. 
33* 


39°     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

He  addressed  them ;  but  his  words  were  few,  in  conse- 
quence of  his  spasms  of  agony : 

"  Woman,  behold  thy  son !"  and  to  John, 

"  Behold,  thy  mother  :" 

Those  tones  had  the  marks  of  pain  in  them ;  but  yet  how 
true  they  were  to  his  strong,  undying  love !  John  took  her 
from  that  hour  as  his  own  mother,  to  his  home.1 

The  hours  dragged  on ;  and  the  anguish  increased.  In  one 
of  our  best  authorities  we  have  the  following  account  of  the 
effects  of  crucifixion : 

"1.  The  position  of  the  body  is  unnatural,  the  arms  be- 
ing extended  back  and  almost  immovable.  In  case  of  the 
least  motion  an  extremely  painful  sensation  is  experienced 
in  the  hands  and  feet,2  which  are  pierced  with  nails,  and  the 
back,  which  is  lacerated  with  stripes.  2.  The  nails  being 
driven  through  the  parts  of  the  hands  and  feet  which  abound 
in  nerves  and  tendons,  create  the  most  exquisite  anguish. 
3.  The  exposure  of  his  many  wounds  to  the  open  air  brings 
on  an  inflammation  which  every  moment  increases  the  poig- 
nancy of  the  suffering.  4.  In  those  parts  of  the  body  which 
are  distended  or  pressed,  more  blood  flows  through  the  ar- 
teries than  can  be  carried  back  into  the  veins.  The  conse- 
quence is  that  a  greater  quantity  of  blood  finds  its  way  from 
the  aorta  into  the  head  and  stomach  than  would  be  carried 
there  by  a  natural  and  undisturbed  circulation.  The  blood- 
vessels of  the  head  become  pressed  and  swollen,  which  of 
course,  causes  pain  and  redness  of  the  face.  The  circum- 
stance of  the  blood  being  impelled  in  more  than  ordinary 
quantities  into  the  stomach,  is  an  unfavorable  one  also,  be- 


1  John  xix.  25-27. 

a  Gregory  of  Nazianzen  has  asserted  that  one  nail  only  was  driven 
through  them ;  but  Cyprian,  (De  passione),  who  had  been  a  personal  wit- 
ness to  crucifixions,  and  is  consequently,  in  this  case,  a  better  author- 
ity, states  on  the  contrary,  that  two  nails  or  spikes  were  driven,  one 
through  each  foot. — Jahn's  Archaeology. 


THE   CRUCIFIXION.  391 

cause  it  is  thai  part  of  the  system  which  not  only  admits  of 
the  blood  being  stationary,  but  is  peculiarly  exposed  to  mor- 
tification. The  aorta  not  being  at  liberty  to  empty,  in  a  free 
and  undisturbed  way  as  formerly,  the  blood  which  it  receives 
from  the  left  ventricle  of  the  heart,  is  unable  to  receive  its 
usual  quantity.  The  blood  of  the  lungs  is  therefore,  unable 
to  find  a  free  circulation.  This  general  obstruction  extends 
its  effects  likewise  to  the  right  ventricle,  and  the  con- 
sequence is  an  internal  excitement  and  exertion  and 
anxiety,  which  are  more  intolerable  than  the  anguish 
of  death  itself.  All  the  large  vessels  about  the  heart, 
and  all  the  veins  and  arteries  in  that  part  of  the  sys- 
tem, on  account  of  the  accumulation  and  pressure  of  blood, 
are  a  source  of  inexpressible  misery.  5.  The  degree  of 
anguish  is  gradual  in  its  increase,  and  the  person  crucified 
is  able  to  live  under  it,  commonly  till  the  third,  and  some- 
times even  till  the  seventh  day."1 

The  group  of  friends  felt  all  the  bitterness  of  those  still 
continued  gibes  and  taun  tings,  and  the  wagging  of  heads  at 
him,  by  the  passers  by ;  for  the  spot  was  at  some  thorough- 
fare, probably  near  the  angle  where  the  walls  of  Acra  and 
of  Zion  met,  and  by  the  gate  Gennath,  in  the  latter.  They 
were  themselves  a  marked  object,  with  their  deep  sympathy 
depicted  in  their  faces ;  and  many  a  look  of  contempt  was 
directed  at  them ;  but  no  violence  dared  to  be  offered  in  the 
presence  of  the  Roman  officer  and  his  soldiers:  and  the 
elders  and  rabble  felt  too  much  engrossed  with  their  taunt- 
ings  of  Christ  to  give  much  time  to  others  of  less  note. 
Was  there  not  one  sentiment  of  compassion  in  the  revilers  ? 
no  feeling  for  the  anguish  shown  on  that  brow  and  in  the 
convulsed  limbs?  Their  words  show  only  malignity,  and 
spite,  and  triumph. 

But  after  a  while,  as  this  was  going  on,  every  one  in 


1  Jahn's  Archaeology. 


39 2      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

Jerusalem  and  in  the  region  about  it  became  conscious  of  a 
singular  gloom  darkening  the  air  and  settling  down  over  all 
objects;  becoming  deeper  and  deeper;  coming  silently  and 
enwrapping  everything, — the  city,  and  temple,  and  moun- 
tains around.  People  stopped,  and  looked  at  each  other  in 
wonder ;  and  presently  in  alarm :  for  it  was  becoming  night, 
although  the  time  was  at  full  mid-day.  The  crucifixion 
had  been  at  nine  o'clock :'  it  was  now  twelve;  but  soon  there 
was  no  sun  to  be  seen  in  the  sky,  only  the  blackness  of 
darkness  everywhere.  Men  groped  along  in  uncertainty  of 
motion,  deep  horror  now  in  every  heart.  The  Chagigah 
ceremonies  had  been  going  on  in  the  city,  and  at  the  temple, 
and  the  great  altar  fires  were  blazing  on  Moriah  with  the 
sacrifices  there.  Very  many  of  the  people,  it  is  true,  had, 
from  early  morning,  felt  no  heart  for  the  festivities  of  this, 
their  great  day  of  rejoicing :  for  they  had  been  stunned  by 
the  announcement  of  the  seizure  and  binding  and  condem- 
nation of  Christ,  and  by  the  scenes  at  the  Prsetorium ;  and 
a  sickening  sensation  had  crept  through  them,  when  they 
heard  of  the  crucifixion  :  but  others,  deceived  by  the  artful 
proceedings  of  the  Sanhedrim,  or  callous,  or  fickle,  or  un- 
willing to  lose  the  rejoicings  that  had  always  made  this  day 
so  cheerful,  were  proceeding  with  the  Chagigah  festivity, 
when  this  darkness  came  settling  down  over  their  mirth, 
and  substituted  for  it,  horror  and  alarm.  They  left  their 
feasts  untouched ;  they  sat  in  silence,  or  whispered  to  each 
other,  or  hastened  to  secret  places,  as  if  fearful  that,  in 
this  blackening  gloom,  some  mighty  Avenger  was  coming 
through  the  air  ready  to  strike, — they  could  not  tell  where, 
or  whom,  or  how.  Some  ascended  rapidly  to  the  sacred 


1  Third  hour,  (nine  o'clock),  according  to  Mark  xv.  25,  which  agrees 
with  Matthew  and  Luke.  The  Gospel  of  John  says  at  the  sixth  hour, 
(or  noon),  which  is  evidently  an  error  by  transcribers ;  the  Greek  letter 
representing  six  being  very  similar  to  that  for  three.  In  some  of  the 
best  ancient  Greek  readings,  we  find  the  third  hour,  also  in  John. 


THE    CRUCIFIXION.  393 

precincte  of  the  temple,  thinking  that  perhaps  there  might 
be  more  safety  or  less  alarm  in  that  place ;  and  found  the 
priests,  with  pallid  faces,  looking  in  their  white  dresses  about 
the  altar  lighted  by  the  strong  glare  from  its  fires,  more  like 
unwilling  spirits  of  doom  aghast  at  their  work,  than  like  paci- 
ficators between  God  and  man,  and  the  ministers  of  joy  on  this 
festive  day.  There  was  universal  horror,  and  a  momentarily 
increasing  fear  amid  these  millions  congregated  at  Jerusalem. 
The  words  of  Christ  to  the  women,  on  the  way  to  Golgotha, 
were  spreading  among  the  crowds,  "  Daughters  of  Jerusalem, 
weep  not  for  me,  but  for  yourselves  and  for  your  children," 
&c. :  and  people  also  remembered  his  frequent  prophecies  re- 
specting the  city  and  its  terrible  approaching  end.  "  Had  the 
time  now  come?"  they  thought.  "Was  this  the  begin- 
ning?" Men  sat  down,  covering  their  faces  in  the  horror 
that  was  chilling  them  through ;  or  stood  like  statues,  as  if 
turned  to  marble  in  this  fear  that  was  paralyzing  every  fac- 
ulty :  women  clasped  their  children  to  their  hearts,  and  shed 
over  them  their  silent  tears,  or  broke  into  wailings  at  what 
seemed  to  be  the  doom  already  arrived. 

All  nature  was  mourning  as  at  some  horrible  event ;  and 
all  thoughts  were  turned  towards  the  scenes  at  Golgotha, — 
the  cross,  the  victim,  the  deepening  agonies  there.  That 
spot  was  involved  in  the  darkness,  as  if  heaven  would  not 
look  upon  it,  and  was  shrouding  it  from  all  sight ; — or,  as  if 
heaven  was  sympathizing  with  the  sufferings  there,  and 
veiling  itself  in  gloom. 

So  the  hours  passed  on,  in  this  unnatural  and  frightful 
darkness,  until  the  ninth  hour  (three  o'clock)  was  near  at 
hand.  The  anguish  of  Christ  had  been  increasing,  with  all 
the  peculiar  mental  as  well  as  bodily  distress  belonging  to 
that  mode  of  suffering.  Death  was  approaching,  a  death  in 
which  all  the  powers  are  strained  into  the  fullest  agony  be- 
fore they  finally  give  way.  The  mind  is  fearfully  affected ; 
and  the  writhings  and  distortions  of  the  higher,  intellectual 


394      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

nature  form  the  greatest  of  the  horrors  which  precede  the 
dissolution. 

Such  a  spasm  came  now.  There  was  a  cry,  extorted  by 
its  anguish. 

"Eli!  Eli!  lama  Sabacthani,"  meaning,  "My  God,  my 
God,  why  hast  thoti  forsaken  me  ?" 

Men  with  hearts  steeled  against  all  sympathy,  and  full  of 
malignity,  were  still  about  the  cross ;  and  they  said, — mista- 
king the  words — 

"Let  be:  let  us  see  whether  Elias  will  come  to  save  him." 

The  mental  spasm,  however,  was  soon  over;  and  the  God- 
like nature  in  him  had  again  the  supremacy ;  but  what  a 
horrible  darkening  there  had  been  to  bring  forth  that 
desponding  cry ! 

During  these  pains,  the  body  is  parched  by  a  burning 
sensation ;  and  to  his  complaint  of  thirst  now,  the  soldiers 
filled  a  sponge  with  their  vinegar,  or  sour  wine  (their  com- 
mon drink),  and  it  was  handed  to  him  on  the  extremity  of 
a  hyssop  stalk. 

The  end  had  come.     He  said, 

"  It  is  finished."1 — "  Father,  into  thy  hands  I  commend 
my  spirit."2 

One  cry,  a  piercing,  anguished  cry,  drawn  from  him  by 
the  death  agony,  and  it  was  over.3  The  sufferings  had 
ceased. 

Nature,  as  if  in  sympathy,  was  convulsed.  The  earth 
shook  as  if  it  were  in  terror;  the  rocks  were  rent  in  sunder; 
the  veil  of  the  temple,  hiding  the  holy  of  holies  from  the 
eyes  of  all  but  the  high  priest,  was  rent  in  twain  from  top 
to  bottom,  as  by  unseen  hands ;  graves  opened  of  their  own 
accord,  and  bodies  of  the  dead  appeared  moving  about,  as 
though  the  grave  were  resigning  its  power, — its  dominion 
gone.  The  centurion  who  had  been  superintending  the  ex- 


1  John  xix.  30.         2  Luke  xxiii.  46.        3  Matt,  xxvii.  50. 


THE   CRUCIFIXION.  395 

ecution  exclaimed,  "  Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God."1  A 
fear  had  come  on  all  who  were  watching  there,  and  others 
joined  the  officer  in  the  exclamation :  they  smote  on  their 
breasts,2  and  returned  to  the  city,  fear,  sadness,  remorse  fill- 
ing their  hearts.  The  physical  darkness  had  now  passed 
away,  and  light  was  restored  to  the  earth  once  more.3 

The  group  of  friends  by  the  cross  had  not  been  the  only 
sympathizers  watching  these  sad  events.  There  were  others 
further  off — people  true  to  Christ  still  in  their  hearts,  some 
of  whom  had  followed  him  from  Galilee,4  but  powerless  to 
help.  To  them  the  former  group  had  retired  toward  the 
last  of  these  scenes.  In  addition  to  their  sympathies,  there 
were  many  very  sad  thoughts  among  his  friends  on  that  day, 
understanding  very  imperfectly  as  they  did  the  nature  of 
the  kingdom  which  he  had  come  to  establish  among  men. 
Their  love  for  him  had  given  rise  to  many  hopes  of  seeing 
him  aggrandized  in  the  world;  some  hopes  there  had  also 
been  for  themselves :  all  such  hopes  were  quenched  now. 

Life  in  the  malefactors  still  lingered  on :  and  it  was  cus- 
tomary with  the  Komans,  when  this  was  the  case  longer 


1  Matt,  xxvii.  54.  a  Luke  xxiii.  49. 

3  This  darkness  was  undoubtedly  miraculous ;  but  there  was  a  singular 
case  of  darkness,  from  natural,  though  still  unexplained  causes,  on  what 
is  called  in  New  England  "The  Dark  Day,"  which  occurred  on  the  19th 
of  May,    1780.     President  Dwight,   in  speaking  of  it,   says :  "  Candles 
were  lighted  in  many  houses  ;  the  birds  were  silent  and  disappeared,  and 
the  fowls  retired  to  roost.     The  legislature  of  Connecticut  was  then  in 
session  at  Hartford.     A  very  general  opinion  prevailed  that  the  day  of 
judgment  was  at  hand.     The  House  of  Representatives  being  unable  to 
transact  their  business  adjourned.     A  proposal  to  adjourn  the  Council 
was  under  consideration.     When  the  opinion  of  Col.  Davenport  was 
asked,  he  answered,  'I  am  against  an  adjournment.     The  day  of  judg- 
ment is  either  approaching,  or  it  is  not.     If  it  is  not,  there  is  no  cause 
for  an  adjournment;  if  it  is,  I  choose  to  be  found  doing  my  duty ;  I  wish 
therefore  that  candles  maybe  lighted.'"   This  darkness,  like  that  at  Jeru- 
salem, seems  to  have  been  local. 

4  Luke  xxiii.  49. 


396      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR   GOSPELS. 

than  they  wished  in  any  sufferer  on  the  cross,  to  hasten 
death  by  breaking  the  bones  of  the  legs  with  a  mallet ;  or, 
by  plunging  a  spear  into  the  heart ;  or,  by  kindling  a  fire 
below,  thus  to  hasten  the  end  by  suffocation.  The  day  fol- 
lowing this  would  be  the  Jewish  Sabbath ;  and  it  was  im- 
portant to  have  the  bodies  removed  before  sunset,  when  their 
holy  day  would  commence :  so  the  soldiers  came  and  broke 
the  bones  of  the  malefactors,  but  there  was  no  necessity  for 
this  violence  on  the  Saviour's  body,  and  it  was  spared :  one 
of  them  however,  to  try  whether  there  might  not  still  be 
life,  thrust  a  spear  into  his  side,  and  there  came  out  blood 
and  water,  decisive  evidence  that  death  had  taken  place.1 

Silence  had  fallen  gradually  upon  this  scene ;  the  leaders 
fully  sated  in  their  revenge,  had  left,  and  most  of  the  peo- 
ple had  dropped  off  toward  their  homes  in  fear  and  remorse. 
A  few  remained,  watchers  from  affection ;  and  the  Roman 
guard  was  still  on  duty  there. 

We  turn  to  gaze  on  that  spectacle ; — the  cross,  the  body, 
the  bloody  marks  on  brow  and  limbs,  the  stamp  of  death  on 
the  victim  slain; — slain  for  us. 

"  BEHOLD  THE  LAMB  OF  GOD,  WHICH  TAKETH  AWAY 
THE  SIN  OF  THE  WORLD." 


1  Serum  and  blood,  showing  that  the  blood  had  resolved  itself  into  its 
constituent  principles,  as  it  always  does  after  death. 

"  The  researches  of  modern  surgery  have  established  the  fact  that  an 
effusion  of  blood  would  have  taken  place  in  any  case,  being  the  natural 
consequences  of  such  a  wound,  and  is,  under  the  circumstances,  decisive 
evidence  of  the  actual  death  of  Christ." — Bloomfield,  in  loco. 

"In  order  to  ascertain  whether  Christ  was  really  dead  or  not,  or 
whether  he  had  merely  fallen  into  a  swoon,  a  soldier  thrust  his  lance  into 
his  side  (undoubtedly  his  left  side),  but  no  signs  of  life  appeared.  If  he 
had  not  been  previously  dead,  a  wound  of  this  kind  in  his  side  would 
have  put  a  period  to  his  life,  as  has  been  shown  by  the  physician  Eschen- 
bach  and  by  Gruner.  The  part  pierced  was  the  pericardium;  hence 
lymph  and  blood  flowed  out." — Jahn's  Archaeology. 


THE  BURIAL.  397 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 
THE  BURIAL. 

supernatural  darkness  had  passed;  but  the  hearts 
of  the  multitudes  were  still  palpitating  with  the  fear 
and  awe  which  the  recent  events  had  produced ; — the  pall 
over  all  nature,  the  earthquake,  the  significant  rending  of 
the  veil  of  the  Holy  of  Holies,  the  dead  moved  from  their 
graves.  They  felt  that  a  horrible  deed  had  been  done,  for 
which  they  might  look  for  some  avenging  hand :  and,  when 
the  people  who  had  been  to  the  crucifixion,  and  had  joined 
in  the  derision  there,  now  returned  smiting  their  breasts  in 
horror  and  remorse  and  reporting  the  words  of  the  Cen- 
turion and  others  who  had  witnessed  the  end,  "  Certainly 
this  was  a  righteous  man/'  "Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God," 
a  deep  dejection  fell  on  the  city,  a  gloom  of  the  soul  darker 
than  that  which  had  just  before  been  filling  their  sky. 

Sunset  was  approaching.  After  that  they  were  bound  to 
go  out  and  cut  the  first  fruits  with  festivity  : — they  had  no 
heart  for  it  now. 

As  the  morrow  would  be  the  Sabbath,  the  time  from  three 
till  sunset  was  called  "  the  preparation ;"  being  given  to 
cooking  and  preparing  their  food  for  the  holy  day :  some- 
times the  whole  of  Friday  was  called  the  day  of  preparation. 
The  Jewish  law  also  directed  that  the  bodies  of  persons  ex- 
ecuted should  be  buried  before  sunset  of  the  day  of  execu- 
tion ;  and  those  at  Calvary  must  now  be  removed. 

There  were  members  of  the  Sanhedrim  believing  on 
Jesus;  but  that  horrible  punishment  of  excommunication, 
decreed,  a  year  before,  on  any  one  who  might  confess  him, 
and  the  rancorous  spirit  of  that  body,  had  kept  them  in  a 

34 


39$      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

craven  fear ;  but  two  of  their  number  now  broke  through 
thL  feeling; — Joseph  of  Arimathea;  and  also  Nicodemus, 
who  had,  three  years  previously,  come  to  Jesus  by  night. 
They  had  taken  no  part  in  the  deliberations  and  the  con- 
demnation at  the  house  of  Caiaphas;  and  the  Sanhedrim 
had,  probably,  used  the  precaution  to  keep  all  doubtful  per- 
sons from  the  councils  on  these  occasions.  Joseph  had  been, 
at  heart,  a  disciple :  and  is  spoken  of  as  a  good  man  and 
just,  waiting  for  the  kingdom  of  God  :  and  although  it 
would  have  been  more  creditable  to  him  to  have  shown  his 
discipleship  earlier,  we  must  remember  that  the  heroic  spirit 
of  Christianity  had  not  yet  taken  a  decided  form,  except  in 
the  Lord  himself;  and,  also,  how  dark  and  cramped  the 
minds  of  the  Jews  were,  respecting  the  Messiah.  The 
eleven  themselves  had  all  fled,  when  their  Master  was  seized 
at  Gethsemane. 

Joseph  now  went  boldly  to  Pilate,  and  asked  that  the 
body  of  Christ  might  be  delivered  up  to  him.  The  gover- 
nor sent  for  the  centurion  having  it  in  charge,  to  inquire 
whether  death  had  taken  place  so  soon ;  and,  being  satisfied 
of  this,  gave  orders  that  it  should  be  given  to  the  applicant ; 
who  now,  assisted  by  Nicodemus,  took  it  from  the  cross. 
The  former  was  a  wealthy  man,  and  possessor  of  a  garden 
having  in  it  a  new  tomb,  in  which  no  one  had  ever  yet  been 
laid.1  Thither  they  transported  the  body  of  the  Messiah ; 
having  wrapped  with  it  in  the  clean  linen  of  its  shroud,  a 
very  large  quantity  of  spices,  (aloes  and  myrrh),2  which 
would  absorb  the  juices,  and  keep  it  in  preservation  for 
embalmment  when  the  Sabbath  should  have  passed.  They 
laid  it  thus  in  the  new  tomb,  and  rolled  a  very  large  stone 
against  the  mouth  of  the  sepulchre.3  The  faithful  women 
from  Galilee,  had,  never,  through  all  this  day,  deserted  their 

1  It  was  an  ancient  custom  for  families  to  have  burial  places  in  their 
garden.     See  2  Kings  xxi.  18-26. 

2  John  xix.  38-42.  3  Matt,  xxvii.  60. 


THE  BURIAL.  399 

Lord:  they  had  now  followed  the  body  to  the  sepulchre; 
and  when  it  had  been  removed  from  all  human  eyes,  they 
still  sat  down  opposite  the  spot,  gazing  there  tearfully;  still 
faithful  to  him  in  death.1 

It  was,  however,  only  fidelity  to  the  strong  affection  pro- 
duced by  the  past ;  for  all  hopes  in  them  respecting  Christ 
on  this  earth  were  now  extinct.  He  had  often  spoken  of 
his  resurrection  from  the  tomb  on  the  third  day ;  but,  what 
is  now  familiar  to  us,  through  history,  was,  at  that  time,  to 
them  an  unknown  future,  with  fo retellings  concerning  it  so 
strange  and  foreign  to  their  ideas  as  to  bring  to  the  mind  no 
comprehension  of  their  meaning;  and  all  his  followers  had 
believed,  when  he  foretold  his  rising  again,  that  he  spoke  of 
the  final  resurrection  at  the  end  of  the  world.  Nicodemus 
and  Joseph  had  so  little  expectation  of  a  near  rising  again 
that  they  had  enveloped  the  body  in  spices,  so  as  to  preserve 
it  for  embalmment  after  their  Sabbath ;  these  women  them- 
selves, when  they  afterwards  came  to  the  sepulchre,  on  the 
resurrection  morning,  had  with  them  spices2  for  the  embalm- 
ing :  and  even  the  eleven,  on  that  third  day,  when  they 
heard  that  he  had  arisen,  treated  the  report  as  an  idle  tale. 

So,  at  this  time,  in  all  the  followers  of  the  Messiah  hope 
was  dead,  except  what  there  might  be  in  a  far  distant  day, 
when  the  end  of  all  things  should  come.  The  world  was  a 
blank  to  those  who  had  trusted  in  him  as  the  Messiah  that 
was  to  do  so  much  for  the  nation  and  for  himself,  and,  per- 
haps, for  them.  Crucified ;  dead ;  what  was  there  to  hope 
for  now?  How  longingly  had  friends,  how  tremblingly 
had  enemies,  all  through  that  day,  been  in  a  half-expectation 
as  of  some  miracle  for  his  own  deliverance !  but  none  had 
come.  It  was  ended  now :  the  closed  sepulchre,  and  the 
huge  stone3  rolled  against  its  mouth,  seemed  to  these  watch- 


1  Luke  xxiii.  55 ;   Matt,  xxvii.  61.  2  Luke  xxiv.  1. 

8  Mark  xvi.  4. 


400      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

ers  an  obliteration  of  all  the  hopes  which  they  had  enter- 
tained. So  they  believed;  but  affection  still  remained;  and 
they  sat  there,  tearfully  by  the  sepulchre  as  the  sun  went 
down  and  the  evening  shadows  began  to  gather  around. 

But  they  were  startled  soon  by  the  martial  tread  of  armed 
men,  and  by  numerous  irregular  footsteps  of  others,  advan- 
cing along  the  alleys  of  the  garden.  On  these  came ;  and 
presently  a  company  of  soldiers  filed  up,  and  stood  in  array 
before  the  sepulchre;  while  chief  priests  and  Pharisees 
busied  themselves  to  make  sure  that  the  body  was  still  safe 
within  the  tomb. 

Hatred  had  been  more  keenly  observant  than  affection, 
respecting  Christ's  words;  and  was  now  more  attentively 
revolving  them ;  and  the  fears  of  these  rulers  had  pictured 
to  them  a  possible  surreptitious  disposal  of  the  body :  and 
especially  were  they  alarmed  when  they  found  that  two  of 
the  Sanhedrim  itself,  one  of  them  a  man  of  large  pecuniary 
resources, — were  the  leaders  in  taking  the  body  from  the 
cross,  and  depositing  it  in  a  sepulchre  belonging  to  one  of 
these  now  acknowledged  disciples, — men  of  rank.  They 
had  hoped  that  in  the  death  of  Christ  their  troubles  would 
cease;  but  a  worse  possible  one  had  suddenly  started  up. 
The  body  in  the  tomb  and  garden  belonging  to  Joseph,  now 
courageous,  as  he  had  just  shown  himself  to  be  in  going  to 
Pilate  for  it,  and  a  man  of  means  sufficient  to  enable  him  to 
hire  men  for  any  purpose ; — he  and  Nicodemus  also  able  to 
give  the  protection  of  their  rank  to  subordinates ;  while  in 
the  Sanhedrim  were  others,  also,  secretly  favorable ; — how 
easy,  they  thought,  would  it  be,  and  under  these  circum- 
stances— (judging  others  by  themselves) — how  likely,  to 
steal  the  body  away,  and  to  start  then  the  report  of  an  actual 
resurrection !  So,  when  they  heard  the  particulars  of  the 
burial,  they  hastened  to  Pilate. 

u  Sir,"  they  said,  "  we  remember  that  that  deceiver  said, 
while  he  was  yet  alive,  After  three  days  I  will  rise  again. 


THE  BURIAL.  401 

Command,  therefore,  that  the  sepulchre  be  made  sure  until 
the  third  day,  lest  his  disciples  come  by  night,  and  steal  him 
away,  and  say  unto  the  people,  He  is  risen  from  the  dead : 
so  the  last  error  shall  be  worse  than  the  first." — Pilate 
answered  curtly, 

te  Ye  have  a  watch :  go  your  way,  make  it  as  sure  as  ye 
can/'1 

The  Roman  garrison  in  Anton ia  could  easily  furnish  men, 
with  officers  to  take  command  :2  and,  with  this  power  from 
the  Governor,  they  found  themselves  immediately  provided 
with  what  they  needed :  and  a  sufficient  guard,3  with  the 


1  Matt,  xxvii.  63-65.     Pilate's  words,  "Evre  mwmtSiav,  may  mean  either 
ye  have  or  have  ye,  the  word,  TE,xere  being  both  in  the  indicative  present 
and  imperative. 

2  It  is  obvious,  from  Matt,  xxviii.  12-15,  that  the  guard  was  composed 
of  Roman  soldiers ;  for,  had  they  been  Jewish  watchmen  from  the  temple 
there  would  have  been  no  occasion  to  bribe  them  to  secresy,  or  to  offer  to 
stand  between  them  and  Pilate,  if  their  unfaithfulness  should  reach  his 
ears. 

3  Bishop  Porteus,  in  his  lectures  on  Matthew,  gives  sixty  as  the  num- 
ber of  men  composing  this  guard.     He  says :  "  The  chief  priests  went  to 
Pilate  as  soon  as  the  sun  was  set  on  Friday,  the  day  of  the  preparation 
and  crucifixion  ;  for  then  began  the  following  day  or  Saturday,  as  the 
Jews  always  began  to  reckon  their  day  from   the  preceding  evening. 
They  had  a  guard  as  soon  as  they  possibly  could  after  the  body  was  de- 
posited in  the  sepulchre;  and  one  cannot  help  admiring  the  goodness  of 
Providence  in  so  disposing  events,  that  the  extreme  anxiety  of  these  men, 
to  prevent  collusion,  should  be  the  means  of  adding  SIXTY  unexceptionable 
witnesses  (the  number  of  Koman  soldiers  on  guard),  to  the  truth  of  the 
resurrection,  and  of  establishing  the  reality  of  it  beyond  all  power  of 
contradiction."     The  writer  of  the  present  work  united  with  a  friend, — a 
professor  in  a  theological  seminary,  himself  a  library  of  erudition, — in  a 
search  among  numerous  ancient  folios  and  quartos  for  the  Bishop's  au- 
thority for  stating  so  large  a  number ;  and  we  both  were  surprised  to  find 
how  little,  on  this  subject,  could  be  found  among  commentators  and  other 
writers.     All  that  we  could  discover  was  a  quotation  in  Poole's  Synopsis, 
from  Theophylact  (tenth  century),  KowruSla  etfiKovra  'earn  orpanomoj',  a  guard 
consists  of  sixty  soldiers.     The  rulers  would  take  care  that,  on  this  occa- 
sion, the  guard  should  be  a  large  one. 

34* 


402     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

Pharisees  and  chief  priests  in  company,  were  quickly  on 
their  way  to  the  sepulchre.  The  number  of  their  watch  was 
large,  but  these  leaders  were  resolved  that  no  precautions 
should  be  wanting ;  and  that  all  secret  plottings  by  the  dis- 
ciples, or  violence  from  any  revulsion  of  feeling  among  the 
populace  should  be  equally  guarded  against.  They  took 
care  to  see  at  the  sepulchre,  that  the  body  was  yet  there  safe ; 
and  then,  drawing  a  cord  across  the  stone  which  filled  the 
entrance,  and  sealing  the  ends  of  this  cord  with  their  seals 
to  the  rock  on  either  side,  they  felt  now  satisfied,  that,  with 
the  soldiers  in  addition  stationed  about  the  place,  they  had 
made  all  secure.  They  thought,  as  they  retired  from  the 
garden  to  their  homes,  that  they  might  now  have  rest. 

But  with  such  remembrances  as  were  theirs  men  cannot 
calmly  and  quietly  rest.  Night  came  down  silently  over  the 
city,  stealing  on  so  imperceptibly  that  it  might  seem  as  if 
trying  as  it  always  does  to  soothe  and  to  invite  to  quiet  and 
repose,  but  there  was  a  seething  of  many  feelings  all  through 
Jerusalem,  and  through  the  country  around  that  was  hostile 
to  rest. 

The  rulers  themselves  felt  that  the  day's  acts  had  written 
up  against  them  a  terrible  record  which  they  had  some  time 
or  other  to  meet.  The  excitement  of  the  previous  night  and 
of  the  day  was  over,  and  they  could  now  reflect ;  the  strong 
tension  on  the  nervous  system  was  past,  and  left  them  ex- 
hausted. They  sat  down  to  think.  Tired  and  worn  as  they 
were,  many  thoughts  in  them,  enemies  to  peace  were  harass- 
ing them,  and  were  to  harass  them  forever.  Conscience  is 
never  dead,  and  it  now  came  stinging  like  a  viper,  and  tell- 
ing them  that  their  earnest  zeal  in  all  this  was  but  masked 
revenge?  Why  their  night  assemblage,  if  truth  and  justice 
only  were  required?  Why  the  suborning  of  witnesses? 
"Why  their  actual  breaking  through  all  the  old  rules  for  trial 
although  preserving  the  forms?  Why  their  untiring  persist- 
ence? Why  the  forcing  of  things  to  this  terrible  end? 


THE  BURIAL.  403 

Was  not  all  this  course  a  tacit  acknowledgment  in  themselves 
that  their  cause  was  not  good  ?  that  they  were  fighting  against 
truth  and  right  ?  Suppose  moreover  that  this  wonderful  be- 
ing should  be  the  Messiah  after  all  ?  and  should  be  their 
future  judge?  * 

Whatever  doubts  there  might  be  on  that  subject  there  was 
one  which  had  in  it  a  terrible  certainty ;  for  to  gain  their 
ends  this  day  they  had  humiliated  themselves  before  the 
Roman  governor,  a  Gentile  as  they  had  never  done  before. 
Their  own  cry,  "We  have  no  king  but  Caesar,"  was  still 
ringing  in  their  ears.  It  was  to  ring  there  forever.  It  had 
always  been  their  proud  boast  before  their  countrymen  and 
the  world,  that  they  did  not  and  would  not  bow  to  the  Ro- 
man yoke.  Had  they  not  bowed  their  necks  and  themselves 
put  the  yoke  on  this  day  before  Pilate  and  before  the  pub- 
lic? But  far  worse  than  that — they  had  forsworn  God. 
Their  opposition  to  Rome  had  always  been  on  the  ground 
that  God  was  their  King,  and  that  they  could  have  no  other. 
But  the  mad  cry,  "  We  have  no  king  but  Caesar,"  was  cast- 
ing off  God  and  was  swearing  fealty  to  the  bloody,  despica- 
ble monster  at  Rome  in  place  of  Jehovah ;  was  blasphemy; 
was  shutting  themselves  out  from  God.  And  was  not  the  very 
fact  that  they  could  be  induced  to  do  this  in  that  persecution 
to  death,  a  proof  that  their  cause  was  the  devil's  cause,  and 
that  they  were  only  his  dupes?  So  their  consciences  whis- 
pered as  they  laid  down  to  rest. 

But  they  slept  at  last.  Nature  wearied  out  and  exhausted 
gave  way  at  length,  and  they  dropped  into  repose  wrapped  in 
such  divams  as  proud  men  utterly  humiliated,  and  men  feeling 
that  they  had  just  publicly  abjured  God,  and  substituted  for 
him  the  vilest  of  all  earthly  tyrants  may  have ;  so  they  slept, 
— to  wake  again  to  a  frightful  consciousness  on  the  morrow. 

The  night  settling  down  found  the  disciples  crushed  in 
heart,  and  with  no  consciousness  of  noble,  heroic  conduct  as 
a  relief.  They  knew  and  felt  how  pusillanimous  their  course 


404      LIFE  SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

had  been.  John  only  had  possessed  courage  enough  to  stand 
near  the  cross  an  acknowledged  follower  of  Christ.  Their 
hopes  of  earthly  glory  were  now  gone ;  their  Master  had 
met  a  felon's  death;  they  themselves  might  soon  be  seized 
by  the  same  relentless  Sanhedrim  and  dragged  to  punish- 
ment ;  what  a  vista  had  Christ's  oft  repeated  predictions  as 
to  themselves  opened  to  their  view !  Yet  their  recollections 
of  him  were  precious.  Faithless  as  they  had  been,  one  of 
them  false,  they  clung  the,  more  pertinaciously  to  the  me- 
mories of  his  kindnesses,  his  counsels,  his  gentleness  in  their 
mistakes  and  waywardness,  his  constant  love  to  them;  and 
their  affection  to  his  memory  still  constituted  a  bond  among 
themselves  saddened,  and  borne  down  by  a  consciousness  of 
their  baseness  in  deserting  him  in  his  hour  of  need.  Humbled 
they  truly  were,  but  unconsciously  to  themselves  they  had 
in  this  humility  and  this  feeling  of  self-accusation,  and  in 
their  affection  to  the  memory  of  Christ,  the  elements  which 
would  yet  be  worked  into  greatness  of  life.  They  slept  at 
last,  worn  out  with  long  agitation — slept  such  a  sleep  as  the 
sorrowing  and  despondent  have. 

As  twilight  spread  over  the  vast  throngs  in  the  city  and 
on  the  hills  around,  these  talked  uneasily  and  gloomily  of 
what  they  had  that  day  seen  and  heard.  A  great  many  of 
them  remembered  the  Crucified  as  he  had  moved  among 
their  hills  and  valleys  in  Galilee  and  Perea,  the  crowds  fol- 
lowing and  shouting  their  gratitude  at  his  healings ;  the 
whole  world  there  glorifying  God  for  what  their  eyes  be- 
held of  his  wonderful  greatness  and  goodness.  Some  of 
these  multitudes  had  cried  Hosanna  to  him  here  at  Jerusa- 
lem only  a  few  days  before,  and  they  recollected  how  full  their 
hearts  had  then  been  of  admiration  and  love.  They  remem- 
bered his  stopping  amid  the  joy  of  the  shouting  train  to 
weep  over  Jerusalem,  and  his  spoken  lamentation  then  and 
on  the  following  day  over  the  city.  Many  in  their  hearts' 
deep  convictions  still  hailed  him  with  Hosannas  as  the  Mes- 


THE  RESURRECTION.  405 

siah.  But  if  he  were  the  Messiah  then  what  must  be  thought 
of  their  country's  sin  that  day  !  So  they  queried  sadly  and 
anxiously  as  night  sank  down  upon  them  and  they  retired 
to  their  rest. 

The  city  and  country  slept ; — the  rulers  from  the  exhaus- 
tion of  the  previous  night  and  day ;  the  disciples  worn  out 
with  sorrow  and  self-reproach ;  the  people  weighed  down 
with  gloomy  thoughts.  They  slept :  and,  penetrating  with 
its  fangs  deeper  and  deeper  in  the  nation's  vitals,  so  as  to 
hold,  with  a  sure  and  unrelenting  grasp ;  and  beginning  al- 
ready its  devourings,  to  be  continued  till  the  life  of  that 
people  should  all  be  like  a  quivering  nerve,  wherever  they 
might  be  found, — was  the  doom  intensified  by  that  hideous 
prayer, 

"  HlS  BLOOD  BE  ON  US  AND  ON  OUR  CHILDREN/' 

Jesus  had  prayed  that  they  might  be  forgiven ;  but  for- 
giveness is  not  forced  on  those  who  do  not  ask  for  it  them- 
selves, and  who  persist  in  wrong ;  and  the  Jews  still  insist 
on  the  justice  of  that  condemnation. 

That  prayer  has  never  yet  been  cancelled. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 
THE  RESURRECTION. 

THE  hours  passed  heavily  by,  over  those  guards  at  the 
sepulchre;  and  morning  came,  the  Jewish  Sabbath 
with  its  long  hours  of  entire  rest ;  only  the  most  necessary 
duties  of  life  being  allowed  on  their  holy  day.  But  people 
through  these  hours  rested  uneasily;  for  their  thoughts  were 
ever  turning  towards  that  body  lying  in  the  sepulchre,  and 
to  the  events  of  the  preceding  day ;  and  many  discussions 


406      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

now  took  place ;  often  renewed,  always  unsatisfactory ;  some- 
times greatly  exciting,  generally  of  a  gloomy  kind.  Sunset 
came  again  at  last,  closing  their  wearisome  Sabbath,  to  which 
day  even  the  temple  solemnities  could  give  no  relief;  for  the 
voices  of  the  multitude  raised  in  their  sacred  melodies  were 
dulled  by  an  undefined  dread.  For,  had  not  a  mysterious 
power  on  the  previous  day,  rent  from  top  to  bottom  the  veil 
shutting  the  Holy  of  Holies  from  common  eyes? — a  fact  of 
portentous  significance,  especially  combined  as  it  was  with 
the  numerous  other  terrors  and  unnatural  events.  Even 
their  Most  Holy  Place  had  not  escaped. 

The  night  came  down  again  on  Jerusalem ;  the  moon  was 
near  the  full,  and  a  mild  light  was  shed  on  every  object, — 
the  city,  the  garden,  the  sepulchre,  and  the  guards  pacing 
back  and  forth  in  their  watch  in  front  of  its  sealed  door. 
At  the  previous  sunset  had  been  according  to  the  Jewish 
reckoning  the  beginning  of  the  third  clay  since  the  cruci- 
fixion ;  and  twenty-four  hours  from  this  period  would  re- 
lieve the  guard  from  their  duty,  and  the  Sanhedrim  from 
their  fears ;  for  the  specified  time  for  his  rising  would  then 
be  past.  The  grave  had  not  yet  been  invaded ;  the  seals 
had  not  been  broken ;  the  guard  were  cautioned  to  particu- 
lar vigilance  in  the  short  remaining  time ;  though,  indeed, 
scarcely  was  caution  necessary ;  for  the  Roman  discipline 
was  the  severest  ever  known,  and  was  particularly  and  pro- 
perly so  respecting  the  vigilice  or  watches  at  night. 

Hour  after  hour  passed  on  in  quietude ;  the  pleasant,  mel- 
low moonlight  lying  on  the  sleeping  city,  on  the  crests  of 
Moriah  and  temple  pinnacles,  on  battlemented  walls  and 
castles,  on  the  garden,  on  the  helmets  and  breast-plates,  and 
spears  of  the  guards,  giving  a  charm  to  the  scene,  height- 
ened by  the  entire  silence  around,  which  was  broken  only 
by  the  pace  of  the  watch  in  front  of  the  tomb.  It  had  got 
at  last  to  be  near  morning;  in  a  little  while  the  dawn  would 
begin  to  creep  upward  in  the  eastern  sky. 


THE  RESURRECTION.  407 

Suddenly  the  earth  shook,  and  the  whole  garden  was  illu- 
minated by  an  unnatural  light,  so  dazzling  as  almost  to  blind 
the  beholder ; — and  the  guards  stood  paralyzed  and  trem- 
bling at  what  they  beheld.  An  angel  was  there;  "his 
countenance  like  lightning,  his  raiment  white  as  snow."  He 
had  descended  suddenly  and  was  among  them  in  the  over- 
whelming glory  of  the  heavenly  world,  compared  with 
which  all  earthly  beauty  in  the  scene  around  was  blank  and 
drear ; — except  the  glory  of  the  tomb,  by  which  he  now 
stood,  and  which  reflected  back  the  dazzling  brightness  from 
his  face.  The  glare  lighted  up  all  objects  around,  and  made 
distinct  to  the  eye  everything  which  now  occurred. 

The  angel  rolled  away  the  stone  from  the  mouth  of  the 
tomb. 

JESUS  CAME  FORTH  ALIVE. 

The  resurrection  had  come. 

There  was  no  mistaking  that  form  standing  in  the  blaze 
of  the  heavenly  light : — the  hands  and  feet  pierced  by  the 
nails  of  the  crucifixion ;  the  wounded  side;  the  brow  marked 
by  the  thorns ;  that  majesty  of  countenance,  each  feature 
and  mark  clear  and  easily  recognized ;  and  all  manifest  to 
the  returning  senses  of  the  guard. 

Christ,  the  crucified  unto  death,  was  before  them ;  and 
had  come  out  from  the  sealed  and  carefully  guarded  tomb. 

The  guard  recovered  from  their  stupor  of  amazement  and 
fear :  it  was  in  vain  to  contend  with  the  supernatural,  and 
with  power  such  as  was  before  their  eyes :  their  work  of 
guarding  was  indeed  over,  and  it  was  manifest  had  all  been 
in  vain.  No  seal,  no  bars,  the  millions  of  the  world  to 
guard  such  a  place  and  to  keep  the  dead  there,  would  not 
have  availed. 

Early  on  that  morning,  a  hasty  admission  was  demanded 
into  the  houses  of  some  of  the  chief  priests ;  and  these  men 
were  astonished  to  see  several  of  the  soldiers  before  them, 
showing  marks  of  great  alarm.  They  brought  the  news 


408      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

that  Christ  had  risen,  and  described  the  circumstances  at- 
tending his  coming  forth  among  the  living,  himself  alive 
again. 

The  intelligence  was  astounding.  The  rulers  had  pro- 
vided against  the  surreptitious  taking  of  the  body  by  the 
disciples ;  but  here  was  an  account  which,  if  it  should  spread 
abroad,  would  bring  the  whole  Jewish  people  upon  them  in 
a  tempest  of  excited  and  angry  feeling,  demanding  punish- 
ment on  the  abettors  of  the  crucifixion :  and  the  numerous 
guard  which  they  had  placed  there  in  order  to  make  sure 
that  there  should  be  no  fabricated  story  of  a  resurrection, 
would  now  every  one  of  them,  be  evidence  that  a  resurrec- 
tion had  actually  occurred. 

The  danger  of  that  terrible  reaction  among  the  vast  mul- 
titudes was  imminent;  and  to  prevent  it,  the  guards  must 
at  once  be  bought  over  if  possible ;  no  matter  what  the  cost 
might  be.  They  were  all  quickly  sent  for ;  and  in  the  mean 
time,  swift  messengers  through  the  city  brought  the  Sanhe- 
drim together,  to  an  exciting  consultation  about  this  amaz- 
ing news.  The  soldiers  were  brought  before  them :  and  the 
ample  pecuniary  means  at  the  command  of  the  rulers  were 
turned  to  account. 

"Say  ye," — this  was  the  injunction — "Say  ye,  His  disci- 
ples came  by  night,  and  stole  him  away  while  we  slept.  And 
if  this  come  to  the  governor's  ears,  we  will  persuade  him 
and  secure  you." 

The  soldiers  knew  that  the  same  golden  means  could  be 
made  effectual  with  the  governor  likewise ;  and  consequently 
little  danger  would  accrue  to  them ;  so  they  took  the  bribe, 
and  spread  abroad  the  prescribed  report,1  which  the  Sanhe- 
drim took  care  to  have  repeated  by  their  special  messengers 
sent  out  for  that  purpose  through  the  city  and  country  around.2 

1  Matt,  xxviii.  11-15. 

2  The  authority  for  this  last  is  Justin  Martyr,  a  cotemporary  with  the 
apostle  John. 


THE  RESURRECTION.  409 

The  story  was  a  bold  one :  for  every  person  knew  that 
the  punishment  to  any  Roman  soldier  sleeping  on  his  post 
was  death ;  and  these  guards  were  circulating  a  report,  which 
showed  on  the  face  of  it,  a  gross  infidelity  to  their  trust  and 
a  clear  violation  of  all  military  law ;  and  therefore  stamped 
the  authors  of  the  story  as  unworthy  of  belief.  Every  one, 
too,  would  ask,  how  could  it  be  possible  for  the  number  of 
persons  necessary  to  such  a  stealing  as  this,  to  come  and  re- 
move the  heavy  stone  and  carry  awa*y  the  body,  without 
waking  such  sleepers  by  the  noise  which  they  must  neces- 
sarily make ; — the  guard  being  so  numerous  as  it  was?  But 
the  report,  though  carrying  such  improbabilities  on  its  front, 
had  its  intended  effect  upon  many  of  the  people,  backed  as 
it  was  by  the  emissaries  of  the  Sanhedrim;  and  took  a  per- 
manent hold  on  the  public  mind. 

We  will  here  anticipate  history  a  little,  in  order  to  re- 
mark that  the  Sanhedrim  never  dared  to  join  issue  with  the 
apostles  on  this  subject;  although,  soon  after  this  event,  the 
latter  were  preaching  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  in 
Jerusalem  itself,  and  making  thousands  of  converts  by  this 
preaching.  These  eleven  men,  so  timid  lately,  after  they 
had  undergone  the  wonderful  change  produced  by  the  de- 
scent of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  them  on  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
preached  boldly  and  publicly  the  resurrection)  of  which  they 
offered  themselves  as  evidence.  Peter  and  John  proclaimed 
this  at  the  temple,  in  Solomon's  Porch,  before  the  multitudes 
and  priests:  charging  on  them  that  they  "killed  the  Prince 
of  Life,  whom  God  hath  raised  from  the  dead;  whereof 
we  are  witnesses"1  The  rulers  heard  them,  and  were 
"  grieved  that  they  taught  the  people  and  preached  through 
Jesus,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead ;"  but  although  they  laid 
hands  on  them  and  confined  them  till  the  next  day,  they 
dared  not  dispute  the  fact  itself,  and  bring  to  issue  the  ques- 


1  Acts  iii.  15. 
35 


410     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

tion,  on  which  friends  and  enemies  all  saw  that  the  whole 
fabric  of  their  new  religion  was  resting.1  Why  did  they 
not  for  consistency's  sake,  and  for  their  own  cause,  prosecute 
the  disciples ;  and  have  an  official  investigation  before  the 
Sanhedrim,  if  they  had  dared  to  do  so;  especially  now  when 
their  own  story  of  the  stealing  had  the  lie  publicly  given  to 
it  in  the  very  temple  precincts,  the  apostles  offering  them- 
selves as  witnesses  ?  On  the  next  day  after  this  seizing  of 
Peter  and  John,  "  the  rulers  and  elders  and  Scribes,  and 
Annas  the  high  priest,  and  Caiaphas,  and  John,  and  Alex- 
ander, and  as  many  as  were  of  the  kindred  of  the  high 
priest,"  assembled;  and  the  two  disciples,  Peter  and  John, 
were  brought  out  and  placed  before  them,  a  determined  and 
formidable  assembly  indeed.  But  there  was  no  charge  made 
there  of  preaching  falsehood  ;  simply  the  question  asked ; 

"  By  what  power,  or  by  what  name,  have  ye  done  this  ?" 
Peter  replied  to  them,  and  said  it  was  through 

"  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth,  whom  ye  crucified,  whom  God 
raised  from  the  dead :"  and  the  rulers  dared  not  there  dis- 
pute the  fact  of  the  resurrection.  They  only,  after  the 
apostles  had  been  removed  to  give  opportunity  for  consul- 
tation, decided, — "  But  that  it  spread  no  further  among  the 
people,  let  us  straitly  threaten  them,  that  they  speak  hence- 
forth to  no  man  in  this  name  :"2  and  this  was  done ;  but 
still  there  was  no  attempt  to  make  any  issue  on  the  question 
of  the  resurrection. 

Again,  soon  after  this  threat  and  charge  to  the  apostles,  a 
large  number  of  the  latter  were  in  the  temple  preaching  as 
before.  They  had  been  in  prison,  but  were  released  by  su- 
pernatural interposition :  in  the  morning  the  prison  door 
was  found  open  and  the  room  empty ;  and  the  apostles  were 
obeying  the  words  of  their  delivering  angel,  "  Go  stand  and 
speak  in  the  temple  to  the  people  all  the  words  of  this  life." 


1  1  Cor.  xv.  H-17.  3  Acts  iv.  17. 


AFTER    THE  RESURRECTION.  411 

The  multitudes  were  around  them  in  this  preaching,  capti- 
vated by  their  words ;  and  the  messengers  of  the  Sanhedrim, 
sent  to  bring  the  teachers  again  before  that  body,  had  to  do 
it  without  violence,  lest  the  crowd  should  stone  the  messen- 
gers themselves.  The  Sanhedrim  were  almost  humble  in 
theii  appeal :  "  Did  not  we  straitly  command  you,  that  ye 
should  not  teach  in  this  name?  and  behold  ye  have  filled 
Jerusalem  with  your  doctrine,  and  intend  to  bring  this  man's 
blood  upon  us." 

But  there  was  no  denial  by  these  leaders  of  the  resurrec- 
tion, which,  in  every  contest  with  the  apostles,  the  rulers  felt 
must  be  conceded  as  an  admitted  fact. 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 
AFTER  THE  RESURRECTION— THE  ASCENSION. 

THE  hearts  of  the  disciples  and  of  the  followers  of 
Christ  had,  through  that  Jewish  Sabbath,  been  burdened 
with  a  heavy  load.  They  had  all  mistaken  his  prediction 
concerning  his  rising  again,  a  circumstance  that  seems  strange 
to  us,  looking  as  we  do  at  this  event  through  the  light  of 
history ;  but  to  their  minds  it  was  a  truth  too  great  to  be 
fully  comprehended,  and  was  mingled  with  visions  of  a  ge- 
neral resurrection  at  the  end  of  the  world.  Any  dim  idea 
that  they  might  have  received  from  the  plainness  of  his 
words  was  swept  away  by  the  horrors  at  Calvary  where 
their  Master  might  have  seemed  to  them  to  be  deserted  of 
God  and  man. 

Consequently  on  this  night  they  had  not  been  watching, 
but  Christ's  enemies  for  other  purposes .  had  watched.     The 


412      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

disciples  did  not  see  the  glory  of  the  resurrection,  but 
strangers  did.  The  former  were  left  to  sleep,  though  the 
Lord  had  risen  from  the  dead. 

The  assembling  of  the  Sanhedrim  and  the  calling  of  the 
matter  before  that  council  had  all  been  very  early  ;  for  when 
some  women  came  to  the  sepulchre  at  dawn1  they  found  no 
one  there.  On  the  way  these  followers  of  Christ  had  been 
querying  how  they  should  get  the  great  stone  removed  from 
the  entrance;  for  they  were  bringing  spices  with  the  inten- 
tion of  having  the  body  embalmed.  No  thought  in  them 
of  his  rising  again  as  the  object  of  their  errand  very  clearly 
proves. 

These  women  were  the  ones  who  had  at  the  crucifixion 
stood  watching  the  scene,  some  near,  some  further  off,  and 
who  had  afterward  followed  the  body  to  the  tomb;  Mary 
Magdalene  and  Joanna  and  Mary  the  mother  of  James2  and 
other  followers  from  Galilee. 

They  came  into  the  garden  with  their  burden  of  spices. 
They  found  that  the  stone  had  been  rolled  away;  the  tomb 
was  open  !  They  ran  to  look  in  ;  it  was  empty  ! 

Amazement  was  their  first  feeling ;  then  alarm.  "  Who 
had  taken  the  body?  For  what  purpose?  Where  was  it? 
There  had  been  such  hate  shown  by  the  ruling  powers  dur- 
ing the  last  three  days  that  nothing  was  too  dark  for  them, 
no  act  that  they  might  not  perpetrate :  or  had  friends  taken 
the  body  from  some  mistaken  motive?"  Thought  at  such 
moments  is  far  quicker  than  words,  and  these  queries  were 
flashing  through  their  minds,  only  however  creating  per- 
plexities. Mary  Magdalene,  having  given  a  glance  to  assure 
herself  that  the  sepulchre  was  empty,  turned  and  ran  back  to 


1  Matthew  says,  "as  it  began  to  dawn;"  Mark,  "very  early;"  "at  the 
rising  of  the  sun  ;"  Luke,  "very  early ;"  John,  "when  it  was  yet  dark." 
For  such  metonomy  of  sun-light,  see  Judges  Lx.  33 ;  Ps.  civ.  12  ;  2  Kinga 
iii.  22. 

2  Luke  xxiv.  10. 


AFTER    THE  RESURRECTION'.  413 

the  city  to  the  lodging-place  of  Peter  and  John  whom,  on 
seeing  them  she  saluted  with  the  lamentation : 

"  They  have  taken  away  the  Lord  out  of  the  sepulchre, 
and  we  know  not  where  they  have  laid  him."  These  two  dis- 
ciples started  immediately  for  the  tomb.1 

In  the  meantime  the  women  left  behind  had  entered  the 
sepulchre.  Two  men  suddenly  appeared  now  beside  them  ; 
angelic  messengers  they  were  quickly  seen  to  be;  and  the 
women,  trembling  with  fear,  bowed  down  their  faces  before 
them.2  One  of  the  angels  said, 

"  Fear  not  ye,  for  I  know  that  ye  seek  Jesus  which  was 
crucified.  He  is  not  here ;  for  he  is  risen,  as  he  said.  Come, 
see  the  place  where  the  Lord  lay.  And  go  quickly  and  tell 
his  disciples  that  he  is  risen  from  the  dead,  and  behold  he 
goeth  before  you  into  Galilee;  there  shall  ye  see  him ;  lo,  I 
have  told  you."8 

They  hurried  off,  trembling  still  at  the  thought  of  what 
they  had  just  seen  and  heard,  but  filled  with  an  ecstatic  joy. 
What  glorious  tidings  were  these  of  which  they  were  the 
messengers !  Risen,  alive  again,  soon  to  meet  them  once  more  ; 
they  should  see  him  again,  now  far  more  glorious  and  more 
wonderful  even  than  before!  They  stopped  not,  but  were 
hurrying  back  to  the  city  full  of  eagerness  to  communicate 
the  news  when,  on  the  way,  they  met  the  Saviour  himself! 

He  stood  before  them!  What  was  he  like?  The  same 
to  all  outward  senses  as  previously,  except  that  he  now  bore 
in  his  hands  and  feet  the  marks  never,  never,  we  may  be- 
lieve, in  the  glorified  body  to  be  erased; — the  marks  from 
that  sacrifice  of  himself  made  for  the  redemption  of  the 
world. 

They  knew  him  at  once,  and  at  his  salutation,  "All  hail  I" 


1  John  xx.  1-3.  2  Luke  xxiv.  4,  5. 

s  Matthew  xxviii.  5-7.     Matthew  and  Mark  speak  of  one  angel ;  Luke 
of  two.     The  same  criticism  applies  here  as  in  a  former  case,  Qui  plura 
ncirrat  pauciora  complectitur. 
35* 


4H      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

they  fell  at  his  feet  embracing  them  and  worshipping  him. 
He  said : 

"Be  not  afraid;  go  tell  my  brethren  that  they  go  into 
Galilee,  and  there  shall  they  see  me/' 

He  left  them,  and  hurrying  on  their  mission  they  soon 
reached  the  house  where  all  except  Peter  and  John  were 
staying,  but  here  they  received  a  terrible  check  to  their  eager- 
ness and  joy.  The  disciples  treated  their  story  as  an  idle 
tale!1 

The  nine  listened  to  their  earnest  words,  which  were  almost 
incoherent  through  their  haste  and  agitation,  looked  at  them, 
saw  how  they  trembled  still  from  excitement,  and  how  pale 
their  looks ;  heard  their  confused  voices  in  the  earnestness 
of  their  asseverations,  the  tones  of  joy  and  earnestness  and 
disappointment  intermixed ;  and  concluded  that  some  strange 
phantom  in  their  confused  senses  had  bewildered  them.  The 
disciples  were  never  disposed  to  credulity,  and  throughout 
this  day  they  showed  an  amount  of  the  opposite  feeling 
which  seems  strange  to  us  with  our  present  means  of  judg- 
ing of  these  things.  But  the  resurrection  was  to  them  a  new 
thought ;  even  to  us  now  it  is  an  amazing  one  though  familiar 
to  our  minds.  They  had  been  weeping2  at  their  loss;  the 
other  feeling  was  too  great  a  joy  to  suddenly  find  admittance 
amid  such  gloom. 

Peter  and  John,  on  the  report  of  Mary  Magdalene,  had 
started  from  their  home  in  another  part  of  the  city,  and 
John's  warm  affection  brought  him  the  first  to  the  sepulchre, 
where  he  stooped  and  looked  reverently  in  not  venturing  to 
enter.  Peter  arriving  soon  had  greater  boldness  and  went 
in,  and  John  also  entered  now.  The  empty  tomb  betrayed 
no  signs  of  a  rapid  and  confused  departure,  for  the  linen 
clothes  used  for  enveloping  the  body  were  folded,  and  the 
napkin  for  the  head  had  been  wrapped  up  and  laid  by  itself.3 


Li.ke  xxiv.  11.  2  Mark  xvi.  10.  3  John  xx.  4-7. 


AFTER   THE  RESURRECTION.  415 

They  queried  as  they  stood  there,  now  joined  by  Mary  Mag- 
dalene who  had  followed  them,  and  were  perplexed  by  what 
they  saw.  Thieves  had  not  taken  the  body,  for  the  spices 
were  there,  and  in  that  case  would  not  have  been  left  be- 
hind ;  friends  had  not  done  it,  for  they  would  have  taken 
the  grave-clothes  also.  No  account  of  a  resurrection  had  yet 
reached  these  two,  and  "  they  knew  not  the  Scripture"  about 
his  rising.1  Their  eyes  confirmed  what  they  had  heard  con- 
cerning the  removal  of  the  body ;  but  the  rest  was  still  to 
them  a  dark  perplexing  mystery.  They  returned  to  the  city 
leaving  Mary  Magdalene  still  at  the  tomb. 

She  was  left  there  alone,  weeping,  outside  the  sepulchre ; 
but  presently  stooping  down,  she  looked  in  to  see  the  spot 
where  the  body  had  just  been  lying.  She  was  startled  at 
seeing  two  angels  sitting  tjiere,  one  at  each  end  of  the  tomb; 
the  heavenly  visitants,  their  robes  of  white,  and  their  medi- 
tative posture,  harmonizing  with  the  sacred  place.  They 
addressed  her : 

"  Woman,  why  weepest  thou  ?" 

"  Because  they  have  taken  away  my  Lord,  and  I  know 
not  where  they  have  laid  him,"  was  the  reply ;  her  simple 
language  evidence  of  the  full  strength  of  her  grief. 

She  turned  as  she  said  this; — some  other  person  was 
standing  near  her ;  but  her  eyes, — holden,  as  was  afterwards 
the  case  with  the  two  disciples  going  to  Emmaus,  or  over- 
flowing with  grief, — failed  to  recognize  who  it  was.  A 
voice,  also  unrecognized  said, 

"  Woman,  why  weepest  thou  ?  whom  seekest  thou  ?" 
Her  mind  was  full  of  the  one  thought  of  the  abstraction  of 
the  body;  seemingly  with  scarcely  a  glance  at  the  questioner, 
whom  she  supposed  to  be  the  gardener,  she  replied. 

"  Sir,  if  thou  have  borne  him  hence,  tell  me,  where  thou 
hast  laid  him,  and  I  will  take  him  away." 


1  John  xx.  verses  9,  10. 


4*6      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

There  was  but  one  word  in  reply  to  this ;  but  it  was  in 
that  tone  so  well  known  to  her — 

"  Mary  !"— She  turned  :— 

"  Rabboni !"  (Master) :  and  she  fell  at  his  feet. — It  was 
Jesus  himself. 

Her  joy,  and  love,  and  reverence  were  making  demonstra- 
tion in  the  act  of  worship,  as  she  lay  there,  her  heart  over- 
flowing with  gladness.  Alive!  restored  to  them!  The 
marks  in  the  feet  showed  that  it  was  no  phantom,  but  the 
same!  Not  a  spirit,  but  himself!  In  her  reverence  and 
joy,  she  would  have  clung  to  these  feet,  but  there  was  not 
time  for  such  demonstrations  now.  He  said, 

"  Touch  me  not;  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended  to  my  Father: 
but  go  to  my  brethren,  and  say  unto  them,  I  ascend  unto 
my  Father,  and  your  Father;  and  to  my  God,  and  your 
God."1 

She  went  to  deliver  the  message;  her  soul  all  full  of  glad- 
ness, and  of  that  one  thought  that  the  Lord  was  among 
them  again,  living,  speaking;  that  face,  so  grand  always, 
glorious  still  in  its  benignity  and  kindness ;  that  voice,  still 
full  of  its  old  intonations  of  mercy  and  goodness:  Jesus 
was  alive  again !  her  thoughts  gave  swiftness  to  her  move- 
ments ;  and  she  was  soon  before  the  apostles  in  their  city 
home.  But  the  manner  in  which  they  received  her  message 
grated  on  all  her  sensibilities.  They  refused  to  believe  that 
it  could  be  so  ;'2  the  very  enthusiasm  of  her  feelings  was  to 
them  a  proof  that  an  excited  imagination  had  deceived  her. 
The  announcement,  they  thought,  was  too  astounding  to  be 
believed:  they  wanted  the  evidence  of  their  own  senses;  in- 
deed, they  argued,  could  they  even  then  believe? 

Our  knowledge  of  the  Saviour,  after  his  resurrection,  is 
but  fragmentary.  In  the  history  of  the  Gospels  he  comes 
before  us  suddenly,  and  without  preparation  of  circum- 


1  John  xx.  11-17.  2  Mark  xvi.  9-11. 


AFTER    THE  RESURRECTION.  417 

stances ;  and  then  disappears ;  to  be  revealed  again,  without 
explanation  or  cause  given  :  his  earthly  ministrations  always 
so  mysterious  to  us,  must  indeed  be  doubly  so  in  that  space 
lying  between  earth  and  heaven ;  the  interval  between  the 
resurrection  and  his  ascension. 

At  this  place,  however,  the  inquiry  may  suggest  itself  to 
the  reader,  what  was  the  nature  of  the  body  in  which  he 
now  appeared  ?  There  have  been  three  opinions  started  by 
learned  and  good  men :  1st — That  it  was  a  spiritual  body, 
such  as  the  dead  shall  have  after  the  resurrection ;'  2d — That 
it  was  the  same  body  as  before,  but  glorified,  or  as  the  earlier 
writers  express  it,  changed  in  its  qualities  and  attributes : 
and  3d — That  it  was  the  same  body  as  before,  but  which 
was  to  be  spiritualized  and  glorified  at  the  ascension.  It 
will  be  best  only  to  remark  here,  that  the  last  of  these 
opinions  seems  to  be  the  correct  one.  The  body  of  Elijah 
was  also  spiritualized  at  the  moment  of  its  ascension  from 
the  earth.  As  respects  the  sudden  transportation  from  place 
to  place,  or  a  sudden  appearance  or  disappearance,  all  diffi- 
culties in  any  of  the  above  views  cease  in  comparison  with 
the  resurrection  itself.  We  are  among  the  supernatural 
agencies ;  and  admitting  the  power  of  the  resurrection,  we 
must  admit  power  for  the  rest. 

Christ  thought  it  best  to  remain,  after  the  resurrection, 
forty  days2  on  earth.  It  was  important  to  give  full  proof 
of  his  having  risen  again ;  not  only  immediately  after  that 
event,  but  at  subsequent  times  and  different  places ;  and  these 
to  be  occasions,  when  men's  minds  would  be  recovered  from 
the  first  surprise,  and  a  cooler  judgment  be  exercising  itself. 
It  was  important  also  that  the  disciples,  whose  mission  was 
to  be  so  extensive  and  dangerous,  should  not  have  a  feeling 
of  sudden  and  entire  desertion ;  but  should  have  a  sense  of 


1  1  Cor.  xv.  43,  44.  2  Acts  i.  3. 


41 8     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

a  nearness  to  them,  a  care  and  affectionate  regard,  all  open 
to  their  outward  senses,  and  giving  an  assurance  to  their 
mind  and  heart  that  their  Lord  had  not  forsaken  them, 
would  not  forsake  them,  in  this  new  relative  condition  be- 
tween him  and  themselves.  Being  with  them,  as  he  was, 
for  forty  days ;  not  continuously,  in  which  case  familiarity 
might  have  lessened  reverence;  but  at  intervals,  and  under 
circumstances  to  give  assurance  of  his  identity,  his  deep 
affection,  and  his  continued  supernatural  powers,  and  also, 
with  these  powers,  of  a  greatness  in  his  Presence  more  won- 
derful even  than  before,  he  could  thus  make  them  have  a 
fulness  of  faith  in  his  final  parting  words — "  Behold  I  am 
with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world."  They 
would,  indeed,  need  the  consciousness  of  that  presence  in 
many  a  scene  of  their  after  life, — the  arena  with  the  wild 
beasts  ready  to  tear  them  to  pieces,  and  the  rage  of  men 
more  savage  than  beasts ; — and  they  could  have  it  all  the 
stronger,  from  the  feeling  that  he  had,  in  his  affection,  lin- 
gered with  them,  these  forty  days,  to  afford  them  proof  of 
his  care  and  attachment  in  his  new  state,  and  to  give  words 
of  kindness  and  love,  uttered  in  their  ears ; — manifestations 
of  his  closeness  with  them  which  they  could  fully  under- 
stand. With  such  a  feeling,  not  of  forsakenness,  but  of  tlie 
Presence  derived  from  the  forty  days,  and  the  demonstration 
to  their  senses  that  they  were  not,  and  to  their  hearts  that 
they  never  could  be,  forsaken,  they  could  go  forth  into  the 
world,  as  they  did,  to  meet  all  its  rage,  and,  amid  that  rage, 
to  persevere. 

On  this  day  of  the  resurrection,  two  disciples  were  going 
to  Emmaus,  a  village  seven-and-a-half  miles  northwest 
from  Jerusalem ;  and  were  talking  sadly  as  they  went  about 
what  they  had  recently  seen  and  heard.  They  were  joined 
on  the  way  by  the  Saviour  himself,  who  inquired  the  cause 
of  their  sadness  and  the  subject  of  their  conversation. 


AFTER   THE  RESURRECTION.  419 

"  Their  eyes  were  Jiolden  that  they  should  not  know  him.7'1 
One  of  them  asked  him  in  surprise, — 

"Art  thou  only  a  stranger  in  Jerusalem,  and  hast  not 
known  the  things  which  are  come  to  pass  there  in  these 
days?"  And  in  answer  to  a  question  from  him,  they  spoke 
of  the  Messiah  as  "a  prophet  mighty  in  deed  and  word  be- 
fore God  and  the  people/7  and  gave  a  statement  of  the  trial 
and  crucifixion.  "  But  we  trusted,"  they  said,  "  that  it  had 
been  he  which  should  have  redeemed  Israel ;"  and  added 
that  they  had  been  astonished  by  the  reports  of  the  women : 
and  that  the  sepulchre  was  certainly  empty,  as  some  of  their 
own  number  had  seen.  He  replied  to  this : 

"  O  fools  [unintelligent]  and  slow  of  heart  to  believe  all 
that  the  prophets  have  spoken :"  and  proceeded  then  to  ex- 
plain the  prophecies  relating  to  himself. 

Coming  to  the  village,  he  was  invited  to  go  with  them  to 
their  home :  where  now  at  table,  assuming  the  office  of  host 
instead  of  guest,  he  took  bread  and  blessed  it,  and  brake 
and  gave  to  them  to  eat.  They  knew  him  then,  for  the  re- 
striction was  taken  from  their  sight :  but  he  vanished,  as 
they  became  aware  who  he  was.  They  said, 

"  Did  not  our  heart  burn  within  us,  while  he  talked  with 
us  by  the  way,  and  while  he  opened  to  us  the  Scriptures?" 

They  returned  to  the  city  immediately,  and  hastened  to 
the  room  where  the  apostles  (except  Thomas,2)  with  others 
were  assembled; — the  doors  carefully  closed  through  fear 
of  their  Jewish  enemies  ;3 — but  as  they  entered,  full  of  the 
joyful  news,  they  were  met  at  once  by  the  no  less  joyful 
annunciation  that  he  had  appeared  to  Peter  that  day.4  These 

1  Luke  xxiv.  16. 

2  Luke  calls  them  "  the  eleven,"  (though  Thomas  was  absent),  just  as 
Paul  in  1  Cor.  xv.  5,  says,  "  he  was  seen  of  the  twelve,"  though  Judas 
was  then  dead. 

3  John  xx.  19. 

4  Luke  xxiv.  34;  1  Cor.  xv.  5.     The  circumstances  of  this  appearing 
are  no  where  described. 


420     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

two  described  their  meeting  with  him  ;  but,  while  they  were 
yet  speaking,  Christ  himself  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  as- 
sembly, with  the  salutation, 

"  Peace  be  unto  you." 

The  suddenness  of  his  appearance  overcame  all  who  were 
present.  How  could  any  but  a  spirit  enter  through  that 
closed  door,  and  stand  so  suddenly  in  their  midst?  They 
shrank,  terrified  before  so  dreaded  an  object,  a  spirit  of  un- 
known nature,  as  he  seemed  to  them  to  be ;  but  he  hastened 
to  re-assure  them. 

"  Why  are  ye  troubled  ?  and  why  do  thoughts  arise  in 
your  hearts?  Behold  my  hands  and  my  feet,  that  it  is  I 
myself;  handle  me  and  see;  for  a  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and 
bones  as  ye  see  me  have :" — and  he  showed  them  his  hands 
and  feet. 

There  was  a  whirl  of  sensations  in  their  hearts,  a  joy  that 
longed  to  be  full, — for  it  was  mixed  with  doubts ; — a  belief 
struggling  for  ascendency — and  yet  the  truth  seemed  to  be 
too  great  for  belief;  hope,  mixed  with  doubts;  love,  that 
longed  to  clasp  the  feet  of  the  Master,  and  yet  fear;  a  full 
recognition  of  the  features  with  their  grand  and  gentle,  and 
now  pitying  expression  ; — and  yet  how  could  it  be  that  he 
was  the  same?  The  crucified,  the  dead,  how  could  it  be? 

How  different  from  this  doubtfulness  in  the  strong  yet 
shrinking  natures  of  these  men,  was  the  quick  and  full  be- 
lief of  the  weaker,  and  yet  more  courageous  because  more 
loving  natures  of  the  women,  as  shown  that  day  ! 

The  company  had  been  at  supper  when  he  entered.  To 
assure  them  fully  he  asked  for  meat,  and  he  ate  before  them  ; 
and  afterwards  he  gave  explanations  of  the  prophecies,  and 
counsel  respecting  themselves  after  he  should  have  left  the 
earth ;'  and  also  a  symbol  of  the  future  descent  of  the  Holy 


1  Luke  xxiv.  36-48. 


AFTER    THE  RESURRECTION.  421 

Ghost  on  them,  after  which  they  would  have  the  power  of 
knowing  hearts,  and  of  forgiving  sins.1 

Eight  days  subsequently  he  showed  himself  again  to  the 
disciples  in  their  room  in  Jerusalem,  Thomas  on  this  occa- 
sion, being  present;  and  to  this  doubter,  who  had  openly 
expressed  his  requirements  of  clearer  demonstrations  before 
he  would  believe,  he  gave  tangible  evidences  of  his  identity. 

"Reach  hither  thy  finger,  and  behold  my  hands;  and 
reach  hither  thy  hand,  and  thrust  it  into  my  side ;  and  be 
not  faithless,  but  believe."  Thomas  exclaimed  on  this — 

"  My  Lord  and  my  God !"  The  Saviour  replied, 

"  Thomas,  because  thoti  hast  seen  me,  thou  hast  believed : 
blessed  are  they  who  have  not  seen,  and  yet  have  believed."2 

There  was  to  be  a  great  occasion  in  Galilee,  to  which  the 
Saviour,  in  the  meeting  with  the  women  on  the  morning  of 
his  resurrection,  had  adverted,  with  directions  to  tell  the 
disciples  to  proceed  to  that  region,  the  number  of  his  follow- 
ers being  greatest  there. 

There,  it  was  intended,  should  be  the  most  impressive 
manifestation  of  himself  and  to  the  largest  number,  and 
there  also  the  grand  commission  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  all 
the  world. 

First,  however,  there  was  a  more  private  interview  with 
his  disciples  on  the  borders  of  its  lake.  Some  of  these  had 
again  resorted  to  their  former  means  of  livelihood,  and  while 
they  were  employed  in  fishing  the  Saviour  appeared  on  the 
shore  and  invited  them  to  a  meal  already  there  prepared. 
They  were  Simon  Peter,  Thomas,  Nathaniel,  James  and  John, 
with  two  others  not  specified  by  name. 

Could  Peter  ever  see  the  Saviour  now  without  thinking 
of  the  scene  in  the  house  of  Caiaphas,  and  of  his  own  sin 
and  shame?  The  dawn  after  that  night  had  beheld  him  in 
the  streets  bowed  down  with  remorse  and  convulsed  with 


1  John  xx.  22.  2  John  xx.  26-29. 

36 


422      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

grief,  but  no  tears  and  no  remorse  could  ever  efface  from  his 
memory  the  terrible  sin  of  that  denial  of  his  Lord.  But 
his  bitter  repentance  had  brought  forgiveness.  The  Saviour 
had  through  all  that  sin  seen  a  warm-hearted,  generous  na- 
ture, whose  very  impulsiveness  might  under* the  great  influ- 
ences of  the  Spirit  yet  bring  out  the  best  results.  Christ 
pitied  the  weak  and  loved  the  good  that  he  saw  in  him. 

On  this  occasion  he  must  have  shrunk  from  his  Lord 
almost  with  a  hatred  of  himself,  ashamed  to  look  into  the 
face  of  one  so  beloved  and  revered,  whom  yet  he  had  so 
basely  denied  with  an  oath.  After  the  meal  the  Saviour, 
as  if  to  lift  up  this  fallen  disciple  from  that  despairing 
consciousness  of  his  degradation,  and  to  reinstate  the  penitent 
in  the  eyes  of  his  companions,  turned  to  him  especially : 
"Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest  thou  me  more  than  these?" 
The  language  employed  on  this  occasion  was  doubtless  Ara- 
maic, but  the  singular  distinctive  power  of  certain  words  in 
both  question  and  answer,  as  given  in  John's  record,  must 
have  had  its  equivalent  in  what  was  said,  or  it  would  not 
have  been  so  carefully  preserved  as  it  is  in  the  Greek  of  the 
Gospel.  We  follow  the  history  as  in  John  : 

"  Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest  thou  me  more  than  these?'7 
The  word  used  is  dfanaz  (agapas),  which  signifies  a  strict 
union  of  affection,  a  feeling  of  strong  love;  and  Peter  on  hear- 
ing Christ  seems  to  have  shrunk  into  a  horror  at  his  unwor- 
thiness  to  respond  in  the  same  expressive  terms.  There  is 
another  word,  <pd&  (philo),  signifying  an  affection  of  less  en- 
dearment, a  warm  friendship,  and  the  convicted  and  now 
modest  though  still  ardent  disciple  resorted  to  it.  He  an- 
swered, "Yea,  Lord,  thou  knowest  that  <pt)M  <rs  (pJiilo  se)  I 
have  affection  for  thee."  "  Feed  my  lambs,"  was  now  the 
injunction  of  Christ  by  which  Peter  was  publicly  reinstated 
in  his  apostleship. 

But  there  was  such  a  hiatus  between  the  Saviour's  express- 
ive word  and  that  of  the  apostle,  that  Christ  wishing  in  his 


AFTER   THE  RESURRECTION.  423 

great  tenderness  and  kindness  to  place  the  fallen  man,  even 
in  the  language  of  his  regard,  on  the  same  level  as  the  others 
tried  to  draw  him  to  it,  and  he  asked  once  more, 

"Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest  thou  me  (agapas  me)?" 

"  Yea,  Lord,"  said  the  remorseful,  diffident  man  again, 
"  <pdoj  ff£  (pliilo  se),  I  have  affection  for  thee." 

"  Be  a  shepherd  to  my  sheep,"  was  the  injunction  now. 

Christ  then  as  if  unwilling  to  distress  the  sad  and  shrink- 
ing disciple  by  such  contrast  of  terms  used  the  same  one  as 
Peter : 

"Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  <pdZi<;  (phileis)  me?  Hast  thou 
affection  for  me?" 

The  disciple  grieved  because  he  asked  him  this  third  time 
pJnleis  me?  answered  warmly, 

"  Lord,  thou  knowest  all  things,  thou  knowest  pliilo  se,  I 
have  affection  for  thee."  Christ  gave  the  injunction, 

"  Feed  my  sheep." 

What  a  history  in  Peter's  heart  there  is  caught  by  glimpses 
in  this  dialogue ;  the  long  remorse,  the  prostration  from  his 
former  confidence  in  himself;  affection  ardent  yet  all  en- 
veloped in  shame;  days  and  nights  of  mourning;  a  heart 
now  chastened  by  his  grief! 

What  a  tenderness  and  depth  of  love  in  Christ  is  also  here 
made  manifest ! 

The  Saviour  addressed  some  further  remarks  to  him,  sig- 
nifying the  trial  before  him,  and  what  death  he  should  die, 
adding  then  to  him,  "  Follow  me."  * 

Peter  turned  and  saw  John  close  by.     These  two,  the  affec- 


1  John  xxi.  15-23.  For  this  difference  in  phraseology  see  Alford  in  loco. 
It  is  all  lost  in  our  version,  where  the  repetitions  in  the  questioning  seem 
to  want  force.  Alford  says  agapan  is  more  used  for  "  that  reverential  love 
grounded  on  high  graces  of  character;"  philein  for  "personal  love,  human 
affection." 

In  the  first  and  last  of  Christ's  injunctions  to  Peter  are  WOKS,  feed;  the 
second  one  is  no/^atve,  be  a  shepherd.  See  Bloomfield  in  loco. 


424       LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

tionate,  gentle,  brave  man,  and  the  rash,  impetuous,  but 
really  timid  one,  had  by  the  magnetism  of  opposites  which 
we  often  see  in  life  formed  a  mutual  attachment,  and  Peter 
said  in  his  old,  impulsive  manner : 

"Lord,  and  what  shall  this  man  do?" 

"  If  I  will  that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee? 
follow  thou  me ;"  and  these  words  being  mistaken  a  report 
was  spread  from  that  time  that  John  was  not  to  die,  con- 
firmed seemingly,  for  a  while,  in  after  periods  by  the  very  ad- 
vanced age  to  which  that  apostle  lived. 

The  mountains  of  Galilee  had  ever  been  the  favorite  re- 
sort of  Christ,  and  through  all  that  region  he  had  left  the 
chief  marks  of  his  goodness  and  love  and  of  his  divine 
power;  and  therefore  we  might  have  expected  here  some- 
thing peculiar  in  these  last  manifestations  of  himself.  It 
was  so.  He  had  directed  the  eleven  to  meet  him  here ;  and 
on  this  occasion  doubtless  we  must  place  the  meeting  with 
the  five  hundred  brethren  alluded  to  in  another  part  of  the 
Scriptures.1  Here  was  the  great  mission  for  an  universal 
Gospel  given  to  his  followers.  Some  of  those  present  at  this 
meeting  doubted  their  own  senses,  so  amazing  was  the  fact 
of  the  resurrection  j  but  others  worshipped,  their  hearts  full 
of  mingled  sentiments,  awe,  reverence,  wonder,  tenderness, 
and  deep  and  clinging  love.  For  there  were  in  him  the 
marks  of  the  wounds  at  Calvary,  and  all  remembered  his 
words  about  the  meaning  of  the  sacrifice  of  himself  there 
made. 

Standing  among  them  on  the  mountain-top  where  they  had 
met,  he  said : 

"  All  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth. 
Go  ye  therefore  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost;  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I 


1  1  Cor.  xv.  6. 


AFTER   THE  RESURRECTION.  425 

have  commanded  you ;  and  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  world." 1 

The  eleven  then  returned  to  Jerusalem ;  and  he  met  them, 
now,  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  went  with  them  along  on 
the  road  to  Bethany,  by  spots  to  them  full  of  recollections 
of  recent,  stirring  events.  Was  it  the  memory  of  the  late 
triumphal  passage  across  that  mountain,  and  the  loud  Hallels 
of  the  people,  which  started  the  query  by  them, 

"Lord,  wilt  thou,  at  this  time,  restore  again  the  kingdom 
to  Israel  ?" 

It  was  indeed  necessary  that  these  men,  so  persistent  in 
the  old  Jewish  errors,  should  have  supernatural  enlighten- 
ment before  going  on  their  wide  mission  to  the  world ;  and 
he  now  again  promised  it  to  them.  He  directed  them  to 
remain  at  Jerusalem  till  it  should  come.  "For  John  truly 
baptized  with  water;  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Ghost  not  many  days  hence."2 

The  party  were  now  approaching  Bethany.  He  knew 
that  in  a  few  minutes  that  last  separation  would  take  place. 
In  his  presence  they  had  felt  confidence,  strength,  comfort. 
Very  soon  they  would  be  left ;  and  what  a  fight  there  was 
before  them  in  the  world  !  and  what  a  duty  to  be  performed ! 
But  they  were  to  be  strengthened  for  it,  as,  indeed,  all  men 
are  for  duty.  He  said  to  them,  "Ye  shall  receive  power, 
after  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you ;  and  ye  shall 
be  witnesses  unto  me  both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  Judea,  and 
in  Samaria,  and  unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth." 

He  now  lifted  up  his  hands  and  blessed  them. 

— They  must  have  trembled  at  the  significancy  of  the  act. — 
There  might  well  be  a  rush  of  all  tender  emotions  as  he 
finished  the  blessing,  for  they  were  losing  him.  He  was  as- 
cending— floating  upward,  and  heaven  was  drawing  its  own 
to  itself.  It  was  at  a  season  when  the  sky  of  Palestine  is 


1  Matt,  xxviii.  16-20.  2  Acts  i.  5  and  6. 

36  * 


426      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

usually  cloudless;  but  as  the  disciples  with  uplifted  eyes, 
gazed  intently,  a  cloud  formed,  and  gathered  around  him, 
and  shut  him  from  their  sight. 

Two  angels  stood  beside  them. 

"  Ye  men  of  Galilee,"  they  said,  "  why  stand  ye  gazing 
up  into  heaven  ?  This  same  Jesus,  which  is  taken  up  from 
you  into  heaven  shall  come  again  in  like  manner  as  ye  have 
seen  him  go  into  heaven."1 

They  felt  that  they  were  left  alone :  but  they  knew  that 
they  were  not  deserted  by  their  Lord.  His  presence  is  with 
all  who  love  him,  and  will  be  so,  evermore. 


CHAPTER  L. 
"  WHAT  THINK  TE  OF  CHRIST?" 

WE  have  been  able  in  this  book  to  see  him  only  in  part ; 
for  such  a  work  as  this  could  not  attempt  to  embrace 
all  his  life  on  earth.  Many  acts  and  nearly  all  his  teachings 
had  to  be  omitted ;  and,  far  more  than  that,  there  was  a 
great  purpose  in  both  his  life  and  death — the  humiliation 
and  sacrifice  of  a  Divine  being  for  the  sin  of  the  world, — 
which  in  its  fulness  must  be  beyond  the  comprehension  of 
any  human  mind.  He  comes  before  us  strangely  in  the 
Gospels;  we  gaze  upon  him  for  a  while,  and  our  highest 
wonder  and  warmest  affections  are  enlisted  as  they  never  can 
be  in  any  one  else :  but  as  we  try  to  comprehend,  he  passes 
from  us,  as  he  did  from  the  disciples  of  old  when  near  to 
Bethany,  and  a  cloud  receives  him  out  of  our  sight.  Our 
intellect  and  our  heart  however  both  know  that  there  has 


1  See  Luke  xxiv.  50-53;  Acts  ii.  4r-ll. 


"  WHAT   THINK  TE    OF  CHRIST*"  427 

been  present  with  them,  ONE,  before  whom  they  gladly 
bow,  saying  with  the  apostle  "  My  Lord  and  my  God !" 

The  world,  ever  since  his  appearance,  has  acknowledged 
a  perfectness  both  in  his  life  and  teachings,  to  which  nothing 
can  be  added,  from  which  men  can  take  nothing  away.  He 
stands  alone  before  us.  No  one  can  be  compared  to  him. 
He  is  so  far  above  all  else  that  no  similitude  can  be  ima- 
gined :  and  yet,  very  strangely,  we  do  not  feel  that  he  is 
very  far  removed.  There  was  such  a  lovingness  in  him  for 
all  men  that,  although  he  is  infinitely  above  all,  we  have  a 
consciousness  that  he  is  not  very  far  away,  but  is  near  to  us. 
What  a  Lord  and  God  we  have  in  this  Christ! — one  felt  to 
be  Infinite,  and  whom  we  worship  with  all  reverence,  yet 
whom  our  hearts  can  cling  to  with  all  the  fulness  of  their 
love,  for  we  know  that  he  has  shown  infinite  love  to  us. 

In  reading  the  Gospels,  we  must  be  fully  convinced,  that 
the  writers  of  them  drew  their  materials  from  an  actual  life. 
No  man  or  set  of  men  could  have  invented  such  a  character 
and  such  teachings  and  exemplifications  of  teachings :  least 
of  all  could  Jews  have  done  it :  and  especially  at  such  a 
time.  He  was  entirely  at  variance  with  all  the  expectations 
and  longings  of  the  nation :  his  precepts  and  foretellings 
went  for  the  extinction  of  Jewish  hopes,  the  most  extrava- 
gant that  any  country  ever  cherished :  the  people  were  the 
most  bigoted  in  the  world  and  had  the  attendants  of  bigotry, 
a  watchful  jealousy  and  selfishness :  they  were  vain  and 
proud :  they  persistently  and  strictly  declined  all  social 
intercourse  with  other  people :  yet  here,  in  these  writings,  is 
exhibited  to  us,  as  the  promised  Messiah  and  the  great  hope 
of  the  nation,  an  individual  breaking  through  exclusiveness 
and  teaching  universal  charity,  universal  brotherhood,  uni- 
versal love :  advocating  a  kingdom  in  the  heart,  in  lieu  of 
their  expected  external  dominion  and  glory,  and  saying 
"  Whosoever  of  you  will  be  the  chiefest,  shall  be  the  servant 
of  all."  Now,  the  writers  of  these  memoirs  (the  Gospels) 


428      LIFE- SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

were  not  capable  of  inventing  a  character  and  teachings  such 
as  these.  If  any  one  wishes  to  see  the  beau  ideal  of  Jewish 
teachers  and  their  sayings,  let  him  look  at  Shammai  and 
Hillel  their  most  distinguished  men  in  those  times,  as  shown 
in  the  Jewish  history  quoted  in  this  book.  Where  indeed 
has  been  the  philosophic  or  the  imaginative  thinker  of  any 
time  or  country  who  could  have  invented  such  a  character 
as  that  of  Christ,  and  could  have  delineated  it  so  consistently 
in  varied  action  as  is  done  in  these  books?  The  writers  of 
them  could,  evidently  have  drawn  their  materials  only  from 
actual  life. 

It  would  have  been  most  in  regular  order  to  notice  at  the 
beginning  of  the  present  work  the  evidence  respecting  the 
authority  of  the  Gospels ;  but  the  author  thought  it  would 
be  best  to  leave  this  to  the  conclusion,  as  the  reader  might 
then  feel  more  interested  in  the  examination  of  that  subject. 
We  give  the  evidence  in  the  reverse  order  of  the  time  of  its 
occurring,  beginning  at  periods  when  the  Christian  religion 
was  fully  engrafted  on  national  forms  and  institutions,  and 
became  part  of  the  world's  widest  histories. 

We  notice  first,  the  evidence  from  Pagan  authorities. 

Julian  (surnamed  the  Apostate)  wrote,  (A.  D.  331-363), 
against  Christianity.  He  bore  witness  to  the  authenticity 
of  the  four  Gospels  and  referred  to  the  genealogies  in  Mat- 
thew and  Luke  by  name,  and  recited  the  sayings  of  Christ 
in  the  very  words  of  the  Scriptures.  He  also  bore  testimony 
to  the  Gospel  of  John  as  having  been  composed  at  a  time 
when  great  numbers  in  Greece  and  Italy  had  been  converted 
to  the  Christian  faith.  He  admitted  the  miracles  of  Christ. 

HierocleSj  president  of  Bythinia,  a  learned  man  and  cruel 
persecutor  of  Christians,  wrote  (about  A.  D.  303)  against 
their  religion.  His  work,  or  extracts  from  it,  refer  to  at 
Ic-ast  six  out  of  the  eight  writers  of  the  books  of  the  New 
Testament.  Instead  of  suggesting  any  suspicion  that  this 


"  WHAT   THINK   TE   OF   CHRIST."  429 

book  w?^  not  written  by  those  to  whom  it  was  ascribed,  he 
confined  his  effort  to  hunt  out  flaws  and  contradictions. 

Porphyry  wrote  (about  A.  D.  270)  a  work  against  Chris- 
tianity. His  learning  was  extensive.  He  "  possessed  eveuy 
advantage  which  natural  abilities,  or  political  situation  could 
afford  to  discover  whether  the  New  Testament  was  a  genu- 
ine work  of  the  apostles  and  evangelists,  or  whether  it  was 
imposed  upon  the  world  after  the  decease  of  its  pretended 
authors.  But  no  trace  of  this  suspicion  is  any  where  to  be 
found;  nor  did  it  ever  occur  to  Porphyry  to  suppose  it  was 
spurious."  His  writings  contain  plain  references  to  the 
Gospels  of  Matthew,  Mark  and  John ;  and  speaking  of  the 
"  Christians,"  he  calls  Matthew  their  evangelist.  He  con- 
ceded the  miracles  of  Christ  as  real  facts. 

T/ie  Talmuds  (about  A.  D.  230);  refer  to  the  nativity  of 
Christ,  and  his  journey  into  Egypt,  and  agree  that  he  per- 
formed numerous  miracles,  which  they  ascribed  to  his  hav- 
ing acquired  the  Shemmaphoresh,  or  the  ineffable  name  of 
God,  which  they  say  he  clandestinely  stole  out  of  the  tem- 
ple :  or  they  impute  his  power  to  magic  arts. 

Celsus  flourished  A.  D.  176,  or  about  seventy-six  years 
after  the  death  of  Saint  John.  His  works  have  about  eighty 
quotations  from  the  books  of  the  New  Testament  or  refer- 
ences to  them.  "  Among  these  there  is  abundant  evidence 
that  he  was  acquainted  with  the  Gospels  of  Matthew,  Luke 
and  John.  His  whole  argument  proceeds  upon  the  conces- 
sion that  the  Christian  Scriptures  were  the  works  of  the 
authors  to  whom  they  are  ascribed.  Such  a  thing  as  a  sus- 
picion to  the  contrary  is  not  breathed ;  and  yet  no  man  ever 
wrote  against  Christianity  with  greater  virulence."1 

The  younger  Pliny,  in  a  letter  to  Trajan,  written  A.  D. 
107,  (or  seventy-four  years  after  the  crucifixion),  from  By- 
thinia,  where  he  was  pro-consul,  says:  "For  this  super- 


1  Mcllvain's  Lectures. 


43°     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

stition  is  spread  like  a  contagion,  not  only  into  cities  and 
towns,  but  into  country  villages  also;"  and  "that  there  are 
many  of  every  age,  of  every  rank,  and  of  both  sexes,"  ad- 
hering to  it.  He  put  many  to  torture,  and  could  learn 
from  them  only  "  that  they  were  wont,  on  a  stated  day,  to 
meet  together  before  it  was  light,  and  to  sing  a  hymn  to 
Christ,  as  to  a  god  alternately ;  and  to  oblige  themselves  by 
a  sacrament  not  to  do  anything  that  was  ill ;  but  that  they 
would  commit  no  theft,  or  pilfering,  or  adultery ;  that  they 
would  not  break  their  promise,  or  deny  what  was  deposited 
with  them,  when  it  was  required  back  again ;  after  which  it 
was  their  custom  to  depart  and  to  meet  again  at  a  common 
but  innocent  meal,"1  probably  their  feast  of  charity.  It 
may  be  as  well  to  quote  his  account  of  the  manner  of  treat- 
ing those  brought  before  him  :  "  I  asked  them  whether  they 
were  Christians  or  not?  If  they  confessed  that  they  were 
Christians,  I  asked  them  again,  and  a  third  time,  intermix- 
ing threatening  with  the  questions.  If  they  persevered  in 
their  confession,  I  ordered  them  to  be  executed ;  for  I  did 
not  doubt  but,  let  their  confession  be  of  any  sort  whatsoever, 
this  positiveness  and  inflexible  obstinacy  deserved  to  be  pun- 
ished." The  Christians  had  already  become  so  numerous 
in  Bythinia,  (a  region  bordering  northwardly  on  the  Black 
Sea  and  Sea  of  Marmora),  that,  according  to  this  letter,  the 
heathen  temples  had  been  almost  forsaken,  and  "  few  pur- 
chasers for  the  sacrifices  had  of  late  appeared."2 

Tacitus,  who  wrote  about  the  same  time  as  Pliny,  speak- 
ing of  the  Christians,  says :  "  The  name  was  derived  from 
Christ,  who  in  the  reign  of  Tiberius  suffered  under  Pontius 
Pilate,  the  procurator  of  Judea.  By  that  event,  the  sect  of 
which  he  is  the  founder,  received  a  blow  which  for  a  time 
checked  the  growth  of  a  dangerous  superstition ;  but  it  re- 
vived soon  after  and  spread  with  recruited  vigor,  not  only 


1  Quoted  from  his  letter  to  the  Emperor.  a  Epist.  lib.  x.  Ca.  97. 


"WHAT  THINK   TE   OF  CHRIST?"  431 

in  Judea,  the  soil  that  gave  it  birth,  but  even  in  the  city  of 
Rome ;  and  he  then  describes  the  persecutions  of  the  Chris- 
tians under  Nero  (thirty-one  years  after  the  death  of  Christ), 
in  a  manner  which  shows  that  they  must  then  have  been 
very  numerous  in  that  city.1 

We  may  apparently  be  allowed  to  add : 

Josephus  (born  A.  D.  37).  He  says,  "  Now,  there  was 
about  this  time  Jesus,  a  wise  man,  if  it  be  lawful  to  call  him 
a  man,  for  he  was  a  doer  of  wonderful  works,  a  teacher  of 
such  men  as  receive  the  truths  with  pleasure.  He  drew 
over  to  him,  both  many  of  the  Jews,  and  many  of  the  Gen- 
tiles. He  was  the  Christ  ;2  and  when  Pilate,  at  the  sugges- 
tion of  the  principal  men  amongst  us,  had  condemned  him 
to  the  cross,  those  that  loved  him  at  the  first  did  not  forsake 
him,  for  he  appeared  to  them  alive  again  the  third  day,  as 
the  divine  prophets  had  foretold  these  and  ten  thousand  other 
wonderful  things  concerning  him ;  and  the  tribe  of  Chris- 
tians, so  named  from  him,  are  not  extinct  at  this  day."3 

Lastly  Ada  Pilati.  It  was  customary  for  the  governors 
of  provinces  to  send  to  the  emperor  an  account  of  remark- 
able transactions  in  the  places  where  they  resided,  which 
were  preserved  as  the  acts  of  their  respective  governments. 
Such  ACTA  PILATI  are  referred  to  by  the  early  Christian 
writers  in  their  controversies  with  heathen  opponents  or  their 
appeal  to  heathen  governments,  as  things  well  known.  Eu- 
sebius,  bishop  of  Csesarea  (A. D.  315)  says,  "Our  Saviour's 
resurrection  being  much  talked  of  through  Palestine,  Pilate 

J  Annal.  lib.  xv.  \  44. 

2  Literally  "  Christ  was  this  man,"  6  xpitrrog  IVTO$  rjv.    The  genuineness 
of  this  section  in  Josephus's  writing  has  been  doubted,  mainly  because  it 
is  thought  to  be  too  strong  from  one  still  an  unbeliever ;  but  it  is  found 
in  all  the  copies  of  his  works  which  are  now  extant,  whether  printed  or 
manuscript ;  in  a  Hebrew  translation  preserved  in  the  Vatican  library, 
and  in  an  Arabic  version  preserved  by  the  Maronites  on  Mount  Lebanon. 
See  the  subject  discussed  in  Home's  Introduction,  vol.  ii. 

3  Antiq.  xviii.  3,  §  3. 


432      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

informed  the  emperor  of  it  as  likewise  his  miracles,  of  which 
he  had  heard ;  and  that  being  raised  up  after  he  had  been 
put  to  death,  he  was  already  believed  by  many  to  be  a  God." 
Justin  Martyr,  in  his  first  Apology  for  the  Christians,  which 
was  presented  to  the  emperor  Antoninus  Pius  and  the  senate 
of  Rome,  about  A.  D.  140,  having  mentioned  the  crucifixion 
of  Christ  and  some  of  its  attendant  circumstances,  adds, 
"  and  that  these  things  were  so  done,  you  may  know  from 
the  ACTS  made  in  the  time  of  Pontius  Pilate."  Afterwards, 
in  the  same  apology,  having  noticed  some  of  our  Lord's 
miracles,  he  says,  "  And  that  these  things  were  done  by  him, 
you  may  know  from  the  ACTS  made  in  the  time  of  Pontius 
Pilate."  Tertullian  in  his  Apology  for  Christianity,  (about 
A.  D.  200),  after  speaking  of  the  crucifixion,  resurrection  and 
ascension,  speaks  of  "  an  account  of  all  these  things  relating 
to  Christ"  sent  by  Pilate  to  Tiberius.1 

We  proceed  now  to  the  evidence  from  Christian  writers, 
of  whom  we  have  an  unbroken  series  extending  back  into 
the  times  of  the  apostles.  These  are  in  such  numbers  that 
we  have  room  only  to  glance  at  them  and  to  give  an  epitome 
of  what  may  be  gathered  from  their  works.  They  are  as 
follows :  Jerome ,  (about  A.  D.  378),  who  wrote  many  works, 
and  whose  catalogue  of  the  New  Testament  Scriptures  is  ex- 
actly like  our  own;  Origen,  (A.  D.  185  to  253),  bears  testi- 
mony to  the  authenticity  of  the  New  Testament  as  we  now 
have  it;  his  pupils,  Gregory,  bishop  of  Neo-CaBsarea,  and 
Dionysius,  bishop  of  Alexandria,  did  the  same ;  Cyprian,  a 
martyr,  (A.  D.  258),  quotes  largely  from  our  sacred  books; 
Tertullian,  (A.  D.  160-220),  recognizes  the  four  Gospels,  as 
written  by  the  Evangelists  to  whom  we  ascribe  them,  and 
has  large  extracts  from  their  works ;  Clement  of  Alexandria, 
preceptor  of  Origen,  quotes  largely  from  most  of  the  books 
of  the  New  Testament;  Atlienagoras,  (A.  D.  180),  indis- 


1  Home's  Introduction. 


"WHAT   THINK  TE   OF  CHRIST?"  433 

putably  quotes  from  Matthew  and  John ;  Irenceus,  (A.  D. 
170),  wrote  treatises  from  which  we  learn  that  he  received 
as  authentic  and  canonical  Scripture  the  four  Gospels,  the 
authors  of  which  he  describes,  and  the  occasions  on  which 
they  were  written  ;  Melito,  bishop  of  Sardis,  Hegesippus  and 
Tatian,  all  of  about  the  same  period,  have  left  us  similar  testi- 
mony; Justin,  (born  about  A.  D.  89,  suffered  martyrdom  about 
164),  who  studied  first  the  Grecian  philosophies,  and  then 
embraced  Christianity,  has  left  us  numerous  quotations  from 
the  four  Gospels,  which  he  uniformly  represents  as  contain- 
ing the  genuine  and  authentic  accounts  of  Jesus  Christ  and 
of  his  doctrine,  and  says  that  these  memoirs  were  read  and 
expounded  in  the  Christian  assemblies  for  public  worship ; 
Papias,  bishop  of  Hierapolis,  (about  A.  D.I  10),  bears  ex- 
press testimony  to  the  Gospels  of  Matthew  and  Mark,  which 
he  ascribes  to  these  evangelists ;  Polycarp,  an  immediate  dis- 
ciple of  St.  John  and  bishop  of  Smyrna,  (suffered  martyr- 
dom about  A.  D.  166),  has,  in  the  very  small  portion  of  his 
writings  now  remaining,  about  forty  allusions  to  the  different 
books  of  the  New  Testament;  Ignatius,  (bishop  of  Antioch, 
A.  D.  70,  suffered  martyrdom  about  110),  distinctly  quotes 
the  Gospels  of  Matthew  and  John,  and  cites  or  alludes  to  the 
Acts  and  most  of  the  Epistles ;  Hermas,  cotemporary  with 
St.  Paul,  (see  Epistle  to  the  Romans  xvi.  14),  has  left  a  work 
in  three  books  which  contains  numerous  allusions  to  the 
New  Testament;  Clement,  bishop  of  Kome  and  fellow- 
laborer  of  Paul,  (see  Philippians  iv.  3),  wrote  an  epistle, 
several  passages  in  which  exhibit  the  words  of  Christ  as 
they  stand  in  the  Gospels,  and  cites  most  of  the  Epistles ; 
Barnabas,  fellow-laborer  with  Paul,  (Acts  xiii.  2,  3,  &c.),  is 
the  author  of  an  epistle  still  extant,  in  which  are  expressions 
identically  the  same  as  some  occurring  in  the  Gospel  of  Mat- 
thew, and  one  in  particular  which  is  introduced,  with  the 
formula  it  is  written,  which  was  used  by  the  Jews  when  they 
cited  their  sacred  books.  He  quotes  mostly  from  the  Old 

37 


434      LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

Testament,  as  he  was  arguing  chiefly  with  Jews.  But  his 
epistle  contains  the  exact  words  of  several  texts  in  the  New 
Testament,  in  addition  to  those  noticed  above,  and  allu- 
sions to  some  others,  with  many  phrases  used  by  the  Apos- 
tle Paul. 

In  the  writings  of  these  last  five,  (called  the  Apostolic 
Fathers,  because  cotemporary  with  the  apostles),  although 
their  references  to  the  Scriptures  are  often  only  fragmentary, 
there  is  scarcely  a  book  of  the  New  Testament  which  one 
or  other  of  them  has  not  quoted  or  referred  to ;  and  they 
uniformly  speak  of  them  as  "  Scriptures,"  "  Sacred  Scrip- 
ture/7 and  as  the  (<  Oracles  of  God."  In  quoting  from  them 
they  most  frequently  use  the  same  words  which  are  still  read 
in  the  New  Testament;  and  even  when  they  appear  to  have 
quoted  from  memory,  without  intending  to  confine  themselves 
to  the  same  language,  or  when  they  have  merely  alluded  to 
the  Scriptures  without  professing  to  quote  them,  it  is  clear 
that  they  had  precisely  the  same  texts  in  their  view  which 
are  still  found  in  the  books  of  the  New  Testament.  In  all 
the  questions  which  occurred  to  them,  either  in  doctrine  or 
morals,  they  uniformly  appealed  to  the  same  Scriptures 
which  are  in  our  possession. 

We  have  thus  a  cumulative  evidence  from  both  the  ene- 
mies and  friends  of  Christianity,  making  irresistible  the  con- 
clusion, that  at  the  time  and  in  the  country  as  claimed  on  this 
occasion,  books  were  written  which  are  called  the  Four  Gos- 
pels (we  omit  notice  of  other  parts  of  the  New  Testament); 
and  to  this  conclusion  concentrate  also  the  facts  of  Christian 
churches  and  Christian  institutions  as  our  own  eyes  see  them : 
churches  and  institutions  which  must  have  had  an  origin 
at  some  time,  and  which  can  be  assigned  only  to  that  time  and 
that  place.  These  books  show  in  each  of  them  striking  indi- 
viduality of  style  and  manner,  and  yet  with  this  there  is  a 
similarity  which  proves  that  they  must  have  a  common 
source  of  information.  Three  of  them  appear  to  have  been 


"WHAT  THINK  TE   OF  CHRIST?"  435 

written,  each  independently  of  any  other ;  for  there  are  notable 
discrepancies  which  would  not  have  occurred  had  they  been 
produced  in  concert.  These  differences  which  are  sometimes 
so  great  as  to  puzzle  commentators  can  however  be  reconciled. 

Matthew  had  been  a  publican.  Tax-gatherers,  as  we  have 
already  noticed,  were  extremely  odious  to  the  Jews.  The 
farmers  of  the  taxes  employed  portitores  or  inferior  officers ; 
and  he  was  apparently  one  of  these,  having  been  taken  from 
"  the  receipt  of  custom,"  as  he  himself  describes.1  His  Gos- 
pel presupposes  in  the  reader  a  knowledge  of  Jewish  cus- 
toms and  of  the  country  to  such  a  degree  as  to  show  that  it 
was  written  for  Jews ;  and  there  is  some  reason  to  suppose 
that  it  was  composed  in  the  vernacular,  Aramaic;  probably 
however  it  was  both  in  that  language  and  in  Greek,  the  former 
about  A.  D.  38,  and  designed  for  Jewish  converts  at  home ; 
the  latter,  A.  D.  61,  for  such  converts  abroad.  Josephus 
also  wrote  his  history  in  both  these  languages.  Greek  was 
in  those  days  the  universal  language  adopted  by  those  who 
wished  their  writings  to  be  extensively  read.  As  a  collec- 
tor of  customs  Matthew  would  be  acquainted  with  that  lan- 
guage, and  Jews  were  scattered  abroad  over  the  world;  his 
Gospel  seems  however  to  be  mainly  designed  for  converts 
at  home,  and  to  be  suited  to  a  time  of  severe  trials  in  the 
Christian  church  there,  probably  those  conducted  by  Saul. 

Mark  (probably  the  same  as  John,  Acts  xii.  12),  was  not 
an  apostle.  He  was  son  of  a  sister  of  Barnabas,  and  was 
with  him  and  Paul  in  their  first  mission,  fiom  which  he 
withdrew  in  a  manner  to  displease  the  latter.  He  after- 
wards, however,  reinstated  himself  in  Paul's  favor,  and  was 
with  him  in  his  imprisonment  at  Rome  ;2  thence,  it  is  be- 
lieved, he  went  into  Asia  where  he  joined  Peter,  whom  he 
accompanied  to  Rome.  It  was  during  this  last  period  in 


1  ix.  9.    See  also  Mark  ii.  14  and  Luke  v.  27. 

2  See  Col.  iv.  10  and  Philemon  24. 


LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

the  imperial  city,  while  with  this  apostle,  that  Mark's  Gospel 
is  supposed  to  have  been  written,  from  materials  supplied  by 
Peter,  whose  amanuensis  he  indeed  seems  to  have  been. 
The  humility  of  that  apostle  is  conspicuous  in  every  part  of 
it,  where  anything  is  related  of  him,  his  weakness  and  fall 
being  fully  exposed  to  view,  while  the  things  which  redound 
to  his  honor  are  either  slightly  touched  or  wholly  concealed. 
If  so  written,  it  was  about  A.  D.  60  or  63.  The  frequent 
Latinisms  in  this  Gospel  indicate  a  Roman  origin,  while  tho 
Hebraisms  in  its  Greek  show  that  the  author  was  a  Jew. 
It  was  evidently  designed  for  Gentile  believers,  as  is  evident 
by  his  explanations  of  Hebrew  customs.  Robinson  in  his 
Harmony  of  the  Gospels  remarks  that  Mark  and  John  "  fol- 
low, with  few  exceptions,1  the  regular  and  true  sequence 
of  the  events  and  transactions  recorded  by  them."  Matthew 
and  Luke  "  manifestly  have  sometimes  not  so  much  regard 
to  the  regular  order  of  time  as  they  have  been  guided  by  the 
principle  of  association/'  transactions  having  certain  relations 
to  each  other,  being  often  grouped  together,  though  they 
may  have  happened  at  different  times  and  various  places. 

Luke  "the  beloved  physician"  as  Paul  styles  him,  appears 
to  have  been  of  Gentile  parentage  but  to  have  embraced 
Judaism  in  early  life;  we  infer  the  former  from  a  distinction 
made  by  Paul  (Col.  iv.  11  and  14)  between  him  and  three 
others  "who  are  of  the  circumcision;"  while  also  his  Juda- 
ism may  be  inferred  from  his  intimate  knowledge  of  the 
Jewish  religion,  rites,  ceremonies  and  usages,  and  also  from 
the  fact  that  when  Paul  was  assaulted  at  Jerusalem  on  the 
charge  of  bringing  Gentiles  into  the  temple,  Luke  is  not 
mentioned,  although  he  was  the  companion  of  this  apostle 
in  that  city.  He  appears,  on  the  authority  of  the  ancient 
Christian  writers  to  have  been  born  at  Antioch  in  Syria, 


1  The  exceptions  are  Mark  ii.  15-22;  vi.  17-20 ;  xiv.  27-31 ;  xiv.  66-72; 
in  John  xii.  2-8;  xviii.  25-27  ;  xx.  30,  31. 


"WHAT  THINK  TE   OF  CHRIST?"  437 

where,  as  well  as  at  Alexandria  in  Egypt,  was  a  school  for 
medicine.  A  knowledge  of  medicine  did  not  always  imply, 
in  those  days,  great  progress  in  general  learning ;  but  the 
style  in  Luke's  writings,  although  showing  many  Hebraisms 
is  more  polished  than  that  of  the  other  Gospels,  and  the 
classic  idioms  and  Greek  compound  words  are  numerous. 
He  comes  before  us,  first  as  Paul's  companion  (probably 
physician)  in  Galatia,  whence  he  accompanied  that  apostle 
to  Philippi.  There  they  separated,  but  they  were  reunited 
at  Troas  in  Paul's  journey  to  Jerusalem,  to  which  Luke  ac- 
companied him,  whence  he  also  followed  him  to  Caesarea. 
It  was  doubtless  during  Paul's  confinement  of  two  years  in 
this  last  city,  that  Luke  wrote  his  Gospel,  that  is  during  the 
years  58  and  60.  Philip  the  evangelist  was  a  resident  there ; 
and  between  this  city  and  Jerusalem  there  was  constant  com- 
munication :  and  thus  Luke  from  his  very  frequent  opportu- 
nities of  intercourse  with  the  immediate  followers  of  the 
Messiah,  could  draw  ample  authentic  materials  for  his  his- 
tory. There  is  clear  evidence  all  through  his  Gospel  that 
it  was  written  for  the  benefit  of  Gentile  converts. 

John  during  the  early  times  of  the  Christian  church 
remained  in  Jerusalem,  where  he  assisted  in  the  council  held 
A.  D.  49  or  50.  We  learn  from  the  early  Christian  writers 
that  he  afterwards  removed  to  Asia  Minor,  where  he  founded 
and  presided  over  seven  Christian  churches,  making  his 
residence  chiefly  at  Ephesus,  which  after  Jerusalem  had  been 
destroyed,  became  the  chief  centre  of  Christian  labors.  It 
is  believed  that  he  wrote  his  Gospel  in  that  city,  at  a  date 
long  after  the  others :  for  the  efforts  in  it  to  explain  Jewish 
usages  indicate  that  he  was  writing  for  a  people  little 
acquainted  with  such  matters.  Opinions  as  to  the  precise 
time  of  his  writing  vary  from  the  year  68  to  97.  He 
appears  studiously  to  omit  notice  of  those  passages  in 
Christ's  history  and  teachings  which  are  given  in  the  other 
Gospels,  or  if  he  mentions  them  at  all  it  is  in  a  cursory 

37* 


438      LIFE-SCENES   FROM  THE  FOUR    GOSPELS. 

manner.  This  has  led  to  a  general  belief  that  he  wrote  ill 
order  to  supply  deficiencies  in  their  accounts ;  but  probably 
his  more  immediate  object  was  to  counteract  some  heresies 
then  growing  up  in  the  Christian  Church. 

These  are  the  writers  of  the  four  books  purporting  to 
give  a  history  of  the  ministry  of  Christ  on  earth.  They  do 
not  delineate  him  :  they  simply  describe  events.  They  tell 
in  a  plain  manner  what  they,  or  others  with  whom  they 
were  conversant,  saw  and  heard ;  often  giving  us  only  hints 
of  facts,  sometimes  great  masses  of  miraculous  or  other  facts, 
but  without  attempts  at  analyzing  or  drawing  conclusions,  or 
at  side  remarks  of  their  own.  Simply  a  history,  told  in  a 
plain  direct  manner  and  in  lucid  style. 

We  must  remember  the  character  of  the  period  when 
those  histories  were  written,  and  mark  the  aggressive  nature 
of  the  religion  which  they  presented  to  the  world.  It  was 
a  religion  aggressive  against  all  others.  It  admitted  no 
compromise  with  opposing  doctrines  and  no  hesitancy  in 
preaching  its  own ;  it  was  to  be  proclaimed  in  the  face  of 
hostile  governments  and  rulers ;  it  made  war  on  heathenism 
and  Judaism ;  it  was  subversive  of  all  religions  but  itself, 
and  demanded  activity  in  such  subversion.  Its  friends  were 
warned  that  they  would  be  seized  upon,  imprisoned,  betrayed 
by  nearest  kinsmen,  and  put  to  death  for  it:  but  they  were 
to  persevere  and  still  to  make  war  on  all  other  religions. 
Now,  such  a  condition  of  things  would  of  course  provoke 
every  species  of  hostility ;  and  the  claims  of  such  a  system 
would  have  the  keenest  scrutiny  respecting  every  one  of  its 
items.  Rage,  jealousy,  indignation,  scorn,  hatred,  vengeful 
power, — all  this  would  be  let  loose  upon  the  advocates  of 
Christianity,  .who,  if  smitten  on  one  cheek  were  to  turn  the 
other  to  the  smiter,  but  were  still  to  persevere,  still  to  preach. 
We  have  a  striking  exhibition  of  such  things  in  Pliny's  let- 
ter to  Trajan  quoted  above ;  and  that  is  an  exhibition  only 
in  Bythinia  of  what  was  universal.  Such  were  the  times 


"WHAT   THINK  YE   OF  CHRIST?"  439 

when  the  Gospels  were  produced  and  first  read ;  surely  not 
times  when  untruths  could  be  foisted  upon  the  world,  and 
cast  in  the  teeth  of  such  enemies  as  Christianity  encoun- 
tered, or  could  produce  advocates  ready  to  die  for  them. 
Truths,  such  as  the  Gospels  present  could  do  this,  but  only 
truths:  nothing  else  could  safely  meet  investigations  such  as 
these  accounts  challenge  and  would  assuredly  receive,  or 
could  have  such  results  as  were  theirs. 

But,  with  all  these  conclusive  facts  from  history  before  us, 
the  internal  evidence  of  the  Gospels  is  yet  the  most  satisfac- 
tory; for  it  comes  without  intervening  authorities,  directly 
and  clearly  to  our  minds.  Christ  is  there  before  us,  and  we 
can  see  for  ourselves.  The  simple  fact  of  himself  thus 
before  us  is  better  proof, — a  greater  miracle  it  may  be  called 
— because  appealing  to  our  intellect, — than  the  restoring  to 
life  of  the  dead  was  to  the  outward  senses  of  the  believers 
at  Bethany  or  Nain.  There  is  such  a  singleness  in  him,  such 
an  aloneness  in  qualities,  such  a  well-defined  exception  from 
everything  ever  before  or  since  seen  or  conceived  of,  that,  as 
he  is  placed  before  us,  he  is  the  best  evidence  for  himself 
and  for  all  his  claims. 

We  have  been  following  him  through  many  scenes,  some- 
times of  applauses,  where  he  was  glorified  of  all,  sometimes 
of  humiliations  and  pain,  even  to  buffeting  and  a  most 
agonizing  death.  How  equal  he  is  in  all !  In  his  inter- 
course with  the  humble  and  despised  of  the  earth, — publi- 
cans and  sinners, — in  his  commonness  among  men,  the 
Divinity  in  him  is  never  lowered  in  our  eyes ;  and  on  the 
other  hand,  we  feel  that  the  shoutings  of  Hosanna  to  him, 
hailing  him  as  God,  do  not  rise  up  to  the  height  of  his 
elevation,  and  that  no  earthly  honors  could  do  so.  He  was 
perfect  man  and  perfect  God.  He  gave  love  like  a  God,  for 
he  died  in  it;  and  he  demanded  love  like  a  God — love 
greater  than  we  may  have  to  father  or  mother  or  brother  or 
sister  and  a  readiness  to  die  in  it  for  him.  "  He  that  lovetli 


44°     LIFE-SCENES  FROM  THE   FOUR    GOSPELS. 

father  or  mother  more  than  me  is  not  worthy  of  me,"  is  the 
language  of  one  feeling  himself  to  be  above  parents  and 
nearer  to  us  than  parents  and  all  of  earth.  His  demands 
on  us  are  the  largest:  no  two  masters — he  the  only  one. 
Yet  he  died  for  us :  died  that,  through  the  strangest  of  all 
mysteries,  we  might  have  life  through  his  death.  What  a 
bond  there  is  between  him  and  us !  We  may  believe  also 
that  in  heaven,  where  that  only  is  great  which  is  good,  these 
scenes  on  our  humble  earth  had  infinite  greatness,  for  they 
may  solve  an  enigma  even  in  omnipotent  power — showing 
the  Divine  love  to  exist  in  the  highest  type  of  this  affection, 
that  is  a  self-sacrificing  love. 

We  can  see  Jesus  in  some  respects  better  than  those  twelve 
apostles  could  see  him ;  for  we  behold  him  through  an  at- 
mosphere purified  for  more  than  eighteen  centuries  by  his 
example  and  teachings :  and  as  he  thus  appears  before  us  we 
find  it  difficult  to  recognize  his  human  form,  for  to  our 
cleared  vision  this  is  transfigured  as  it  was  on  the  heights  of 
Hermon  and  we  see  heaven  in  communion  with  him.  We 
know  how  the  experiences  of  many  nations,  through  many 
generations,  have  borne  testimony  to  the  life-giving  nature 
of  his  doctrines  and  of  his  appearance  on  our  earth ;  we 
know  how  through  him  as  years  have  rolled  on,  millions 
constantly  have  felt  comforted  cheered  and  blest,  have  been 
made  happy  in  life  and  more  than  conquerors  in  death :  and 
as  we  gaze  at  him  we  hear  the  accumulations  of  Hallels 
through  all  time  since  the  scene  at  Calvary, — the  Hallels  of 
mortals  brought  into  a  glorious  soul-life  by  his  death :  we 
hear  shouts  and  see  throngs,  very  far  greater  than  on  the 
side  of  Olivet ;  and  in  their  cry  we  gladly  join, — "HoSANNA 
TO  OUR  LORD  AND  GOD  !  HOSANNA  IN  THE  HIGHEST  !" 


INDEX. 


Acra,  Mount,  296. 

Altar  of  the  Temple,  119. 

Annas's  house,  358. 

Antiochus  Epiphanes,  53. 

Antonia,  tower  of,  305. 

Apostles  chosen,  182. 

Apostles  sent  forth,  206. 

Apostles  return,  208. 

Aramaic  language,  51. 

Archelaus,  57. 

Argumentum  ad  hominem,  379. 

Ascension  of  Christ,  425. 

Attempt  to  seize  Christ,  240. 

Authorities  for  the  Scriptures,  428, 434. 

Baptism  among  the  Jews,  22. 
Bartimeus,  293. 

Beautiful  gate  of  the  Temple,  118. 
Bethabara.  22. 
Bethany,  247. 
Bethesda,  pool  of,  172. 
Bethesda,  healing  there,  173. 
Bezetha,  299. 
Blind  man  healed,  202. 
Blind  (man  born)  healed,  253. 
Bloody  sweat,  cases  of,  357,  note. 
Body  of  Christ  after  the  resurrection, 
417. 

Caesarea  Philippi,  217. 

Caiaphas'  hall,  and  the  trial  there, 

359. 

Calmed,  sea  of  Galilee,  203. 
Cana,  marriage  feast,  102. 
Cana,  Christ's  second  visit  to,  140.  ' 
Capernaum,  where,  155. 
Capernaum,  healings  at,  159,  178. 
Centurion's  servant  healed,  187. 
Chagigah  rejoicings,  369. 
Chel,  118. 

Children  as  a  model,  223. 
Children    received   and    blessed   by 

Christ,  276. 
Cleansing  of  the  temple,  129,  317. 


Cloisters  of  the  temple,  112,  113. 

Colbonists,  127. 

Condemnation  of  Christ,  how  re- 
garded now  by  the  Jews,  365. 

Court  of  the  Gentiles,  118. 

Court  of  the  women,  119. 

Court  of  the  Priests,  119. 

Crucifixion,  how  regarded  by  tho 
Romans,  377. 

Crucifixion,  its  effect  on  the  body  and 
mind,  390. 

Dancing  in  the  Temple  court,  231. 
Darkness,  supernatural,  392. 
Decapolis,  4000  fed,  215. 
Dedication,feast  of,  259. 
Demoniacs  healed,  203. 
Deputation  from    the  Sanhedrim  to 

John,  37. 

Desecration  of  the  temple,  126,  317. 
Desert  of  Judea,  32,  Ac. 
Dinner  with  a  Pharisee,  201. 
Dinner  with  publicans  and  sinners, 

203. 

Disciples,  the  first  attached,  96,  <fec. 
Disciples,  the  70  sent  out,  224. 
Disciples,   they   return    and    report 

their  mission,  262. 
Disputes  among  the  apostles,  223. 
Divinity  or  its  attributes  claimed  by 

Christ,  169,  175,  261,  362,  370. 
Dress  of  the  Jews,  64. 
Dropsy  healed,  272. 

Education  among  the  Jews,  63. 
Ephraim,  city  of,  271. 
Esdraelon,  plain  of,  141. 
Essenes,  85. 

Excavations  under  the  temple,  124. 
Excavations  under  the  city,  305. 
Excomunication,  kinds  of,  253. 
Expectations  concerning  the  Messiah, 
19. 

441 


442 


INDEX. 


Feast  of  Pentecost,  79. 

Feast  of  Dedication,  259. 

Feast  of  Tabernacles,  227. 

Feast  of  Passover,  340. 

Feast  of  Passover,  posture  at,  342. 

Feast  of  Passover,  order  of,  347. 

Feeding  of  five  thousand,  209. 

Feeding  of  four  thousand,  216. 

Festivals,  68. 

Festivals,  journeying  to  and  from, 

75,  &c. 
First-fruits,  ceremony  at  cutting  of, 

369. 

Flagellum,  384. 

Force  of  character  in  Christ,  174 
Funeral  ceremonies,  192. 

Gabbatha,  372. 

Galilee  described,  101. 

Gemara,  83. 

Gennesaret,  plain  of,  153. 

Gethsemane,  354. 

Gil  boa,  mount  of,  142. 

Golgotha,  386. 

Good  Samaritan,  and  parable  of,  251. 

Governors  of  Judea,  57. 

Guards  at  the  tomb,  401. 

Guards  bribed,  408. 

Hallels,  230. 

Healings,  miraculous,  140,  159,  160, 
162, 169, 173,  176, 178,  187,  194,  200, 
202,  204,  205,  206,  209,  214,  215,  222, 
226,  254,  270,  272,  294,  315,  358. 

Hebrew  language,  its  changes,  51. 

Herod  the  Great,  55. 

Herod  Antipas,  57. 

Herod  Antipas,  wishes  to  see  Jesus, 
208. 

Herod  Antipas,  Christ  before  him, 
375. 

Herodians,  who  they  were,  86. 

Herodians  and  Pharisees  conspire 
against  Christ,  177,  320. 

Heroism  of  Christianity,  327. 

High-priests,  list  of,  334. 

Hillel,  89. 

History  of  Palestine,  50,  &c. 

Horns  of  Hattin,  180. 

Hosannas  to  Christ,  309,  315. 

Houses  in  Palestine,  166. 

Jacob's  well,  Christ  there,  135. 
James  and  John,  their  ambitious  re- 
quest, 288. 

Jericho  described,  278. 
Jerusalem  described,  295,  &c. 
Jewish  teachings,  184. 
Jewish  manners,  64. 
Jews  how  regarded  by  foreigners,  87. 


John  at  the  Jordan,  17. 

John's  teachings,  24. 

John's  history,  26. 

John  is  imprisoned,  132. 

John  sends  messengers  to  Christ,  195. 

John  is  beheaded,  198. 

Jordan  described,  18. 

Joseph  of  Arimathea,  398. 

Jost,  a  modern  Jewish  historian,  88. 

Judas  determines   to  betray  Christ, 

340. 

Judas  is  unmasked,  346. 
Judas  hangs  himself,  382. 

King,  they  would,  make  Christ  King, 
211. 

Lake  of  Galilee  described,  148. 
Lawyers,  202. 

Lazarus  restored  to  life,  270. 
Leper  healed,  164. 
Lepers,  ten  others,  225. 
Leprosy  described,  163,  225. 
Little  Hermon,  142. 
Loneliness  of  Christ,  179. 
Lord's  supper  instituted,  349. 
Lulabb,  229. 

Maccabees,  54. 

Manifestations  of  Christ  after  the  res- 
urrection, 413,  416,  418,  420,  421, 
422,  424,  425. 

Manners  of  the  Jews,  64. 

Messiah,  expectations  concerning, 20. 

Messiahship  claimed  by  Christ,  137, 
146. 

Mezzuza,  68. 

Mishna,  82. 

Money-chests  and  money-changers, 
at  the  temple,  127. 

Moriah,  111. 

Mount,  the  sermon  on,  180. 

Mount  of  Olives,  111,  246,  308. 

Nain,  dead  man  restored  to  life,  194. 
Nathaniel,  99. 
Nazareth  described,  142. 
Nazareth  visited  by  Christ  and  the 

scene  there,  141,  <fec. 
Nicodemus,  130,  245,  398. 
NobleTnan   of  Capernaum,    his    son 

healed,  140. 

Palestine  described,  47. 

Paralytic  healed,  169. 

Passover  supper,  how  observed,  347. 

Perea,  224. 

Peter  named,  98. 

Peter,  his  want  of  faith,  214. 

Peter  at  the  Passover  supper,  344, 347. 


INDEX. 


443 


Peter  denies  his  Lord,  365. 
Peter  questioned  at  the  lake  of  Gali- 
lee, 422. 

Pharisees  described,  40. 
Phylacteries  described,  43. 
Pilate,  his  character,  372. 
Pilgrims  in  Austria,  70,  Ac. 
Plot  against  Christ,  328,  Ac. 
Priests,  ranks  of,  240. 
Prophecies  respecting  Christ,  28. 
Proseuchse,  59. 

Public  entry  into  Jerusalem,  306,  Ac. 
Publicans,  24. 

Rebated  stones,  112. 

Resurrection  of  Christ,  405,  &c. 

Resurrection  not  disputed  by  the 
Sanhedrim,  409. 

Roman  governors,  57. 

Roman  governors,  standards  in  Jeru- 
salem, 20. 

Ruler's  daughter  healed,  204. 

Rumors  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
should  immediately  appear,  292. 

Sadducees  described,  40. 
Samaria  described,  52. 
Sanhedrim  how  composed,  37. 
Sanhedrim,  their  council  room  at  the 

temple,  118. 

Scribes,  who  they  were,  84. 
Sepulchre  sealed,  402. 
Sepulchre  open,  407. 
Sermon  on  the  mount,  180. 
Shammai,  89. 
Simlah,  65. 
Solomon's  porch,  260. 
Stones  in  the  temple,  size  of,  119. 
Storms  on  the  Lake  of  Galilee,  203, 211. 


Supper  at  Bethany,  335. 
Synagogues  described,  59. 

Tabernacles,  feast  of,  227,  &c. 

Tabor,  Mount,  142. 

Talith,  65. 

Talmuds,  83. 

Tell  Hum,  155. 

Temple,  110,  Ac. 

Temple,  twice  cleansed,  128,  317. 

Temptation  of  Christ,  34. 

Traditions,  81. 

Trafficking  in  the  temple,  128. 

Transfiguration  of  Christ,  221. 

Trial  in  the  house  of  Caiaphas,  359. 

Trial  before  Pilate,  368,  Ac. 

Trials  in  Judea,  rules  for,  330. 

Triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem,  306. 

Tyropeon  valley,  295. 

Unwritten  law,  81. 

Veil  of  the  temple,  122. 
Veil  rent  in  twain,  394. 
Vine  of  gold,  121. 

Washing  of  hands,  186,  201. 
Water  made  wine,  105. 
Water,  Christ  stills  the,  203. 
Water,  Christ  walks  on,  213. 
Weeping  over  Jerusalem,  311. 
Wilderness  of  Judea,  32. 
Wilderness,  road  across,  from  Beth- 
any, 249. 

Wine  among  the  ancients,  106,  Ac. 
Woes  denounced,  322. 

Zaccheus,  289. 


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